Judge in Charlie Kirk case won’t ban cameras from courtroom
Tyler Robinson, left, speaks with his attorney Kathryn Nester in court in Provo, Utah, on April 17, 2026. (Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via the Associated Press)
The Utah judge presiding over the murder case of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has ruled that he won’t impose a blanket prohibition on media in the courtroom, Courthouse News Service reports.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. of the Fourth District Court in Utah explained his decision by referencing testimony from last month’s proceedings, which included comments from trial consultant Bryan Edelman, who described some media coverage as sensational, according to Courthouse News Service.
“In his view, their commentary would not exist without the livestream,” Graf said, referring to live broadcasts of court hearings.
The hearings provide fuel for media commentary and misinformation, Tyler Robinson has argued, which necessitates a ban. Robinson is accused of killing Kirk.
Robinson, 23, faces the death penalty if convicted in the Sept. 10 killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University. Robinson’s lawyers want to ban media coverage, arguing that it has been filled with opinion and misinformation. He also wanted to delay the preliminary hearing to give his attorneys more time to review evidence.
Graf has postponed the preliminary hearing in the case from the week of May 18 to July 6.
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