salt lake city — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus is scheduled to return to court Friday as a state judge considers whether some documents and proceedings should be opened to the public.
The outcome will pave the way for a hearing in April in which lawyers will participate Tyler Robinson They will make their case to exclude television cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.
Judge Tony Graf was weighing the public’s right to know details of the case against defense attorneys’ concerns that media attention could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial. Prosecutors, Kirk’s widow and lawyers for news organizations urged Graf to keep the proceedings open.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson (22 years old), who is accused of aggravated murder in Shooting on September 10 From a conservative activist Utah Valley University Campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Lawyers are expected to discuss Friday whether the defense’s written request to exclude the cameras, which the court has classified as private, should be made public.
The judge will also determine whether the April 17 hearing on the matter will be open or partially closed. Robinson’s lawyers say in court documents that parts of the hearing should be private to avoid recirculating misinformation they say came from the media and government officials.
Media access has been a focal point of several recent hearings, with a judge placing temporary restrictions on local television stations to show Robinson’s shackles in violation of a court order and to film close-up shots that might allow viewers to interpret what he was discussing with his attorney.
The judge also banned it completely Video recordings of Kirk’s shooting He was unable to appear in court after defense lawyers said the video footage would interfere with a fair trial. An estimated 3,000 people attended the outdoor gathering to hear Kirk, one of the founders of Turning Point USA, who Help mobilize youth To vote for President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors said DNA evidence linked Robinson to the killing.
At the last hearing in February, the judge ruled He refused to rule it out The local district attorney’s office was barred from prosecuting the case after the defense argued there was a conflict of interest because the district attorney’s daughter was present when Kirk was shot.