The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk is expected in court Thursday as his lawyers push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.
A Utah judge is weighing the public's right to know details in Tyler Robinson's case against his attorneys' concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.
Robinson's legal team and the Utah County Sheriff's Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom.
Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson was expected to appear in person Thursday after making previous court appearances via video or audio feed from jail, according to a transport order.
A coalition of national and local news organizations is fighting to preserve media access in the case.
The judge has already made allowances to protect Robinson's presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn "extraordinary" public attention. In a closed hearing on Oct. 24, he ruled that Robinson will be allowed to wear regular clothes at all pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns.
Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson's restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.
Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.
The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.
Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court "safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process" while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.
Robinson's legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with President Donald Trump announcing soon after Robinson's arrest, "With a high degree of certainty, we have him," and "I hope he gets the death penalty."
Attorney Kathy Nester has raised concern that digitally altered versions of Robinson's initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.
Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, "We deserve to have cameras in there." Her husband was an ally of Mr. Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism. Erika Kirk now leads the organization he founded, Turning Point USA.
In a town hall moderated by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, airing Saturday, Erika Kirk talked about the rise of political violence and the conspiracy theories that swirled around her husband's death. She also had a message for people who sought to justify the assassination: "You're sick."
"He's a human being," Kirk said in the town hall. "You think he deserved that? Tell that to my 3-year-old daughter."
She continued: "You want to watch in high-res the video of my husband being murdered, and laugh, and say he deserves it? There's something very sick in your soul, and I'm praying that God saves you," she said.
The one-hour town hall event will be broadcast on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS television network and will stream later on Paramount+ and CBS News 24/7.
