OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:29 PM – Friday, May 8, 2026
After an ongoing debate, a Utah judge announced that news outlets will be permitted to film, photograph and livestream the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged with the fatal shooting of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk.
Media organizations, prosecutors and most significantly, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, have urged the court to allow cameras during the proceedings. Erika Kirk argued that the added transparency could help slow the spread of conspiracy theories that have circulated online since her husband’s assassination on September 10, 2025.
District Court Judge Tony Graf, made the impactful decision after months of debate, as Robinson’s lawyers argued that media coverage would further the public’s pre-formed perception of Robinson, negatively impacting the suspect’s right to a fair trial.
However, Utah County prosecutors objected the argument, maintaining that most incorrect and misleading information regarding the case did not spawn from credible news sources.
“Defendant’s motion is respectfully denied” Graf said. “Although electronic media coverage is not protected by the Constitution, neither does the Constitution ban electronic media simply because there is a danger that in some cases, prejudicial.”
Robinson faces multiple charges including aggravated murder in connection with Kirk’s tragic death. Prosecutors have indicated that they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is found guilty.
Prior to the ruling, Graf had already tightened the media restrictions in the courtroom after a media pool violated regulations by capturing footage of Robinson’s shackles and close up shots of him speaking with his attorneys.
Furthermore, footage from a December hearing showed Robinson appearing to smirk while speaking with his attorneys, drew significant attention on Fox News, where some suggested he showed no remorse and described his alleged treatment of Kirk as “like a trophy.”
After the incident, Graf reestablished stricter boundaries for the media, placing them in the rear of the courtroom behind Robinson, making it difficult to capture images of him.
The stakes of the case are particularly high since in death penalty cases, a jury is allowed to consider the defendant’s character as part of the final decision.
The defendant’s rights carry a greater weight than the public’s right to know what’s happening in the case, constitutionally. However, in recent years cameras have appeared in courtrooms much more frequently.
Notably, Utah has not seen a criminal case where cameras have been completely banned from every hearing, as cameras have been the standard for over a decade in the state.
A preliminary hearing expected to last several days was scheduled for Robinson in late May, however Graf rescheduled the hearing for early July due to several reasons including both a massive volume of data for officials to sort through and an ongoing debating regarding the bullet recovered from the scene.
The preliminary hearing would have marked the first time the evidence would be presented to the public.
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