Attorneys for Charlie Kirk, accused of killing Tyler Robinson, want to make it public to see evidence at the trial.
Attorneys for Charlie Kirk’s accused killer Tyler Robinson are pushing a Utah judge to exclude the public from key parts of the trial and suppress undisputed evidence after losing their bid to keep news cameras out of court.
According to court documents, some of the exhibits prosecutors plan to present include records from the social media app Discord, text messages, written or recorded statements, video recordings and notes.
The attorney wants to prevent the public from hearing testimony or seeing exhibits that may be found inadmissible at trial. In a counter filing, prosecutors argued that the motion was filed too late and did not specifically state what evidence and exhibits should be withheld from the public.
Robinson, 22, is accused of shooting and killing Kirk, 31, at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Kirk was answering a question from the audience at the Turning Point USA event in front of about 3,000 people when the shooter’s bullet hit him in the neck.
His defense team, led by Utah attorney Kathy Nester, asked Judge Tony Graf Jr. to be held to determine whether evidence and information can be included in Robinson’s upcoming trial, where prosecutors are expected to present to the court evidence that may prove probable cause for the charges against him.
“This is a smart move for the defense for several reasons,” said Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and legal analyst following the case.
The defendant argues that closing part of the trial will prevent the jury pool from being tainted, he said.
“A hearing is not a trial, so prosecutors are often allowed to present certain evidence, hearsay statements, police summaries, or investigative information that would not be admissible before a real jury,” he said. “The defense wants to limit the public distribution of that information to avoid tainting a future jury pool.”
If convicted, Robinson could face the death penalty, and it’s common for defense attorneys to present as many stories as possible under the circumstances, he told Fox News Digital.
“By asking for camera restrictions, public access, and closed exhibits, they are trying to protect the defendant’s right to a fair and impartial trial and reduce the risk of appellate issues later in the case,” he said.
To counter the defense’s delay tactics, prosecutors offered to leave the DNA evidence out of the case, saying they had enough probable cause to exist without them.
However, Graf agreed to the defense team’s request to postpone the trial, which is expected to last four days – moving it from the week of May 18 to early July.
Lawyers for a media coalition that includes Fox News Digital opposed the proposal to close portions of the hearings, noting that such hearings are routine and are usually open to the public except under certain circumstances.
Robinson turned himself in to the sheriff’s office of his hometown in southern Utah less than two days after he was killed.
Prosecutors allege that he confided in friends and family. He is being held without bail and has not entered a plea.
