Thursday marks the first time Robinson will appear in person in court.

Thursday marks the first time Robinson will appear in person in court.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, will be making his first in-person court appearance on Thursday in Provo, Utah in a hearing that will focus on reviewing the case status as well as concerns regarding media attention on the trial. 

Lawyers for Robinson have requested that cameras be banned from the courtroom during the trial, arguing that such a ban would "minimize the effects of prejudicial pretrial publicity." The defense has argued that media attention on the case has turned it into a "content tornado," and that "The Court thus has ample authority to restrict the media in this case and should prohibit any further still camera, photography, or video coverage of any proceedings ‘[t]o safeguard the due process rights of’" Robinson.  

Robinson's attorney, Kathy Nester, argued that her client would not get a fair trial if he appeared in court in prison clothing, and that appearing in a bulletproof vest, suicide robe, and shackles would impede the judge and jury’s ability to treat him fairly.

The judge in the case, Utah Fourth District Judge Tony Graf, has permitted Robinson to appear in court in civilian clothing, and has banned reporters from filming Robinson’s entrances and exits from the courtroom. Graf said in a hearing, "The defendant's motion to strike the sheriff's report is granted. The defendant's motion to appear in civilian clothing is granted. The defendant's motion without restraints is denied. The standing decorum order will be amended to prevent any visual recording or photography of the defendant's restraints or of the defendant entering or exiting the court room."

Leading up to the hearing on Thursday, there were police blocking off the street for when Robinson arrived, likely preventing footage of his entrance at the Utah court. 

Media outlets, including The Post Millennial and Human Events, have urged the judge to allow cameras in the courtroom for the trial. An open letter from the Human Events Media Group stated that such a ban on cameras "would violate Utah law, US Supreme Court precedent, First Amendment protections, and the public’s fundamental right of access to judicial proceedings."

The open letter noted that "in the absence of official courtroom footage, speculative content (YouTube commentary, AI-generated reenactments, partisan edits) will fill the void. This would stand to increase, not decrease, prejudicial distortion. Live, unedited coverage is the most reliable antidote to misinformation, allowing the public to see proceedings as they occur, not as filtered through third-party narratives."

Court TV’s Julie Grant has also pushed for cameras to be allowed in the trial, saying, "The jurors aren’t watching the trial on TV. They’re not allowed to do that. So it sounds to me like this defendant just wants some special treatment. But he’s not special, and I suspect the judge will deny his request to exclude the cameras, but yet, still, that judge will ensure that Mr. Robinson receives the fair trial that he’s entitled to receive." She added, "This was a murder meant for the world to see. The trial seeking justice for Charlie Kirk should be seen by the world as well."

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, has also supported the push for cameras in the courtroom, saying, "There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered. There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move. Analyzing my every smile, my every tear."
"Why not be transparent? There's nothing to hide. I know there's not because I've seen what the case is built on, let everyone see what true evil is. This is something that could impact a generation and generations to come," she added.

Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10 while hosting a campus event at Utah Valley University. Authorities announced the arrest of Robinson on September 12. Robinson’s parents, who turned him in after seeing a surveillance video released by the FBI, have been communicating virtually with their son. Charges against Robinson include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.