PROVO, Utah — The man accused of killing activist Charlie Kirk in September made his first in-person appearance in a Utah courtroom on Thursday.
The hearing for Tyler James Robinson, 22, reviewed the case status with attorneys. Judge Tony Graf was expected to decide the extent of media access in the case.
Robinson’s defense team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom amid concerns that a crush of media attention could interfere with the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
Media outlets, including The Salt Lake Tribune, The New York Times, CNN, The Associated Press and Fox News, filed a motion in November, asking the court to notify them of any future requests to limit access to the proceedings.
Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin Tyler Robinson is expected to make his first physical appearance in court today, not far from where Kirk was murdered in Utah County. pic.twitter.com/idSNJyF47U
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) December 11, 2025
There were 14 media outlets included in the motion.
He did not rule as of Thursday.
Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24, and attorneys discussed Robinson’s courtroom attire and security protocols. Graf subsequently ruled that Robinson would be allowed to wear street clothes during his pretrial hearing. However, the judge ruled that the defendant must be physically restrained because of security concerns.
During Thursday’s hearing, the judge stopped a live stream of the hearing and required the cameras to be moved since the stream showed Robinson in the shackles, The Associated Press reported.
“This court takes this very seriously,” Graf said. “While the court believes in openness and transparency, it needs to be balanced with the constitutional rights of all parties in this case.”
Kirk, 31, was shot while he spoke during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The founder of the organization Turning Point USA was speaking during the first stop of “The American Comeback Tour” when he was shot.
Kirk was using the tour to invite students on college campuses to speak and debate about controversial issues.
Robinson was taken into custody after surrendering to authorities on Sept. 11, 33 hours after Kirk was shot at the campus event in Orem, Utah. Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, tampering with a witness, and violent offense committed in the presence of a child.
Robinson has yet to enter a plea.
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