Judge opens Charlie Kirk murder hearing to media and public
A Utah judge kept Tyler Robinson’s July 6-10 hearing open, letting the public see the biggest evidence presentation yet in the Charlie Kirk case.
A Utah judge cleared the way for the public to watch the next major phase in the Tyler Robinson case, rejecting a defense bid to close all or part of the hearing as prosecutors prepare to lay out their strongest evidence yet in the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Judge Tony Graf ruled that Robinson’s preliminary hearing will be open to the media and the public when it is held July 6-10 in Provo, Utah. Graf said Robinson’s lawyers had not shown a realistic likelihood that an open proceeding would prejudice his right to a fair trial. The hearing is expected to be the most significant presentation of evidence so far, giving prosecutors a chance to show they have enough to send the case to trial.
Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder and additional offenses in the Sept. 10, 2025, killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Utah County prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted. Earlier filings in the case have pointed to alleged text messages and DNA evidence tied to the weapon, material that could surface in the preliminary hearing before any jury is seated.
The ruling also highlights the tension between transparency and due process in a case drawing intense national attention because Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative activist. Robinson’s defense has separately been pressing media-access objections, including concerns about courtroom cameras and pretrial publicity. The defense had also sought to delay the preliminary hearing, and Graf granted that request, moving it from May 18 to July 6-10.
For prosecutors, the open hearing will offer a rare public look at evidence before trial in a case carrying the possibility of capital punishment. For the defense, it means the first major evidentiary test will unfold under the scrutiny of national political attention, with the court trying to preserve the public’s right to observe while avoiding any step that could shape a future jury.
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