Judge Rules On Camera Access During Hearing For Alleged Charlie Kirk Assassin

A Utah judge ruled Thursday that cameras can remain in the courtroom during a hearing for Tyler Robinson, charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk in September.

Tyler Robinson’s lawyers, joined by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, asked Utah Fourth District Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras from the courtroom as national and local media outlets fight to keep coverage open. Graf ruled cameras will be allowed but imposed new restrictions after finding that media outlets violated the court’s standing decorum order.

WATCH:

He said the violation stemmed from transmissions recorded outside official sessions, noting that the Oct. 30, 2025 decorum order and Electronic Media Coverage (EMC) guidelines clearly bar filming before proceedings begin or after the court adjourns.

“If there’s specific circumstances [that] warrant such action that the court would need to make findings in order to do so. I find that excluding the cameras from the courtroom would be disproportionate for this hearing,” the judge said. “I find that giving, making it very clear first that the transmission cannot begin until court is in session and must end before, as the court ends the session and cannot be filmed before or after the filming of, as previously stated in the decorum order, the EMC must be followed to the letter.”

The judge also ordered the primary camera moved away from the defense table to prevent any capture of shackles or sensitive material on attorneys’ computer screens. The bailiff will now supervise the relocated camera’s position. (RELATED: Erika Kirk Offers Blunt Words When Asked About People Who Justified Husband’s Assassination)

The judge warned that any future violations of the decorum order will trigger an immediate termination of broadcast privileges. While stressing a commitment to transparency, the court said that openness must be balanced with protecting the constitutional rights of all parties involved in the case. The courtroom briefly recessed to allow staff to reposition the camera before the hearing continued.

The hearing centered on how to balance transparency with the need to protect Robinson’s right to a fair trial. Robinson, the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, appeared to smirk during his first in-person pre-trial hearing on Thursday.

Robinson faces a sweeping slate of charges — including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice for hiding the rifle and discarding his clothing, and witness tampering for allegedly telling a roommate to delete messages — as well as an additional count for committing a violent offense in front of children. Although the judge allowed him to appear in civilian clothing in October, he ordered Robinson to remain restrained due to the severity of the allegations, and prosecutors, led by Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, announced in September they will seek the death penalty.

Kirk’s widow Erika has urged the court to keep the trial open to the public to ensure full transparency.

“We deserve to have cameras in there,” Kirk told Fox News in November. “Why not be transparent?”

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