PROVO, Utah – The individual charged with the murder of Turning Point USA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, is scheduled for a court appearance today. The hearing will involve Judge Tony Graf Jr. considering defense motions aimed at limiting public access to certain legal documents, as reported by the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
Tyler Robinson, aged 22, could face the death penalty if found guilty of Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The defense argues that “Mr. Robinson seeks to present evidence in a private setting to address the biased and misleading media coverage alongside inappropriate comments from government officials to prevent further dissemination. Additionally, Mr. Robinson requests the court to review privacy violations highlighted in the ‘motion to exclude cameras’ privately to avoid repetition of the material,” as per their legal submissions.
Robinson’s legal team is also pushing to prohibit cameras and microphones, suggesting that media exposure might unfairly influence the jury.
Tyler Robinson, charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, is seen during a court session at the Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, on December 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
The defense seeks to have parts of the April 17 hearing closed to media outlets, claiming that prejudicial reporting could compromise Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
At the April 17 hearing, the defense team plans to showcase evidence regarding “harmful and prejudicial media coverage of this case thus far,” the defense said.
“While there is simply not enough time to present all of what is referenced in the ‘motion to exclude cameras,’ the compilation anticipated will highlight the most egregious and most concerning media coverage impacting Mr. Robinson’s case.”
Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking during his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Previously at Robinson’s Feb. 24 hearing, Graf denied the motion to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office.
The defense team argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present at the shooting at UVU.
Graf, however, said the court was “unpersuaded” by the argument of an “appearance of bias” from the prosecution team.
“Because defendant has not established a factual basis for a finding of conflict of interest or an objective appearance of impropriety, rising to a constitutional concern, his motion is respectfully denied,” Graf said.
4th District Court Judge Tony Graf speaks during a waiver hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, in Utah County Court in Provo, Utah, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via Pool)
The next hearing on April 17 will address the defense’s motion to exclude all cameras from the courtroom, and a preliminary hearing is set for May 18-20.
