Jonathan Turley: This will harden the jury in the Tyler Robinson case
A preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, brought new attention to the case against Tyler Robinson, as prosecutors laid out disturbing evidence tied to the killing of Charlie Kirk. Robinson’s former roommate, Lance Twiggs, testified about an alleged confession, while exhibits including text messages and a handwritten note pointed to planning and apparent remorse. Legal analysts Jonathan Turley and Donna Rotunno weighed in on what they described as a powerful body of evidence, citing details such as engraved bullets and Robinson’s demeanor in court.
Tyler Robinson’s defense team is once again urging the court to keep cameras out of the proceedings, arguing that coverage of his scheduled Sept. 1 hearing could transform the high-profile murder case into what they called a “reality TV show.”
“The media presence in the courtroom both distracts and places added pressure on hearing participants to present for the media, as opposed to focusing on the facts, evidence, and mechanics of the hearing,” Robinson’s attorneys, Kathy Nester, Michael Burt, Richard Novak and Staci Visser, wrote in one of two court motions filed Saturday. “Mr. Robinson’s case is not and should not be made into a reality TV show.”
Defense lawyers contend that livestreamed footage, still images and other forms of electronic media coverage could shape public opinion against Robinson by circulating material that may ultimately never be allowed before a trial jury.
Tyler Robinson, who is charged in the killing of Charlie Kirk, appears at a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, December 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
“Specific to the oral argument on the preliminary hearing, the EMC (electronic media coverage) will memorialize and widely disseminate argument discussing the largely hearsay based evidentiary presentation made by the State,” the defense team wrote. “Such evidence is, by its very nature, insufficiently reliable for admission at trial.”
The two filings also contained redacted sections after Robinson’s attorneys claimed that “additional evidence of bias developing as a result of the widespread publication of this case can be tracked in real time.”
Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was appearing as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
The defense also claimed that witnesses who provided statements that were admitted as “reliable hearsay” ahead of the week-long July preliminary hearing “experienced harassment by media and interested third parties.”
Robinson is the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, 31, at a Turning Point USA event in Orem, Utah, last year. Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
People run after shots were fired during an appearance by Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Separately, a source close to the Kirk family said Tuesday that Kirk’s widow Erika, and his parents, Rob and Kathy, all plan to attend the Sept. 1 hearing together as they did during the July hearing.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. will hear oral arguments from both sides regarding the evidence introduced in July and will decide whether there’s enough probable cause to justify sending Robinson to trial on the charges against him.
An approximation of the suspected movements of Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, based on court documents, video from the scene and conversations with law enforcement. (Google Maps, News Outlet)
Robinson’s defense objected to hearsay evidence from the preliminary hearing and also opposes the sole aggravating factor in the aggravated murder charge that carries the potential death penalty — that Robinson allegedly put other people at great risk of death by shooting Kirk in a crowded place.
Investigators search a taped-off area in Orem, Utah, Thursday, September 11, 2025. The search is believed to be related to the hunt for evidence in the assasination of Charlie Kirk yesterday during a rally at UVU. (Derek Shook for News Outlet)
The defense argued that only a single shot was fired, from an elevated position. It traveled over the crowd, rather than through it, and it only struck Kirk.
Prosecutors countered that Robinson was a bad shot, one who “seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes misses the target completely” when practicing shooting with the suspected murder weapon.
Robinson, 23, has not yet entered a plea.
