Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with aggravated murder, use of a firearm, obstruction and witness tampering in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in September
The man accused of murdering conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has made his first in-person court appearance. Tyler Robinson stood before a Utah court on Thursday, December 11, facing charges of aggravated murder for the fatal shooting of Kirk on September 10, reports the Mirror.
Additional charges include felony use of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and committing a violent offence in the presence of a child. Kirk was shot in the neck while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University – prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty.
Robinson, aged 22, arrived in court shackled at the waist, wrists and ankles, dressed in a light-blue shirt, tie and beige trousers. His family members occupied the front row of the courtroom, as reported by the Associated Press News agency.
The hearing addressed issues regarding public access to the case.
State District Court Judge Tony Graf briefly halted the livestreaming of the hearing via a media pool and demanded the camera be repositioned, after Robinson’s lawyers claimed the stream showed their client’s shackles, breaching a courtroom order, as per AP reports.
Graf warned he would cease future broadcasts if there were further violations. The order, issued in October, prohibits the media from displaying images of Robinson in restraints or anywhere in the courtroom except seated at the defence table.
Graf is also considering the public’s right to know details about the case. Robinson’s defence has voiced worries that media attention could jeopardise a fair trial.
Both his legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have requested the judge to prohibit cameras in the courtroom, a request that remains undecided.
Several news outlets are battling to maintain media access in this high-profile case.
In a private hearing held on October 24, the defence discussed Robinson’s courtroom attire and security protocols. Following a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson must be physically restrained due to security concerns.
The media is prohibited from filming or photographing his restraints after the defence argued that widespread images of him shackled and in prison attire could bias future jurors.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, has advocated for the case to be open to the public.
She has been designated as a victim representative by the court, granting her better access to case information.
“We deserve to have cameras in there,” she previously told Fox News.
“Why not be transparent?”.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a non-profit organisation advocating for conservative politics and geared towards the youth.
He played a significant role in Republican Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.
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