Tyler Robinson is attempting to ban cameras from the courtroom ahead of his trial for the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The murder suspect, who turned 23 on Thursday, was back in court on Friday as his attorneys argued that cameras in his trial could taint his right to a fair trial.
Prosecutors, media organization’s and Kirk’s widow Erika have urged District Judge Tony Graf to allow cameras into the courtroom, arguing it is the only way to prevent misinformation about the assassination from spreading.
The judge said he would make a final decision over whether to allow cameras at a later date, before Robinson moves to a preliminary hearing on May 19 to face murder charges for allegedly fatally shooting Kirk at a Turning Point USA rally in September 2025.
Robinson has still not entered a plea for the alleged murder, more than seven months after Kirk was shot in the neck in front of thousands of students at Utah Valley University.
On Friday, Robinson was transported to the courthouse in an armored vehicle with a heavy police escort, with at least 14 armed SWAT officers closely watching the suspect, Fox News reported.
Robinson was seen smiling and appeared to be in a good mood as he chatted with his defense attorney at the hearing.
At the hearing, his attorneys also asked the judge to delay Robinson’s preliminary hearing as they claimed they had not been given ‘appropriate discovery’ evidence cited by prosecutors.
Tyler Robinson is attempting to ban cameras from the courtroom ahead of his trial for the assassination of Charlie Kirk as he returned to court on Friday (pictured)
Kirk was allegedly shot by Robinson in the neck while he delivered a speech to students at Utah Valley University on September 10 last year
In Robinson’s arguments to ban cameras from the courtroom, his attorneys said media reports had tainted his right to a fair trial.
His defense team cited an article that they said suggested Robinson confessed to the murder during a courtroom conversation with his attorney.
The outlet shared footage of Robinson speaking with his lawyer and cited a lip reading analysis that alleged the suspect whispered, ‘I think about the shooting daily.’
His attorneys argued: ‘The predominant purpose being served by the live stream coverage has not been the educational reporting of the court proceedings, but rather advertising profit, sensationalism, political agendas, and, most prominently, the vilification of Mr. Robinson.’
Robinson’s requests to remove cameras in the courtroom was argued against by a number of media organizations, prosecutors, and Kirk’s widow Erika.
Judge Graf has previously shown frustration with cameras in his courtroom, including in a January hearing when close-up shots showed Robinson wearing shackles, which is a violation of courtroom decorum orders.
The alleged assassin has not yet entered a plea for the alleged murder, more than seven months after Kirk was shot in the neck in front of thousands of students at Utah Valley University.
Prosecutors previously released surveillance images they allege show Robinson stalking the UVU campus before Kirk was shot
Robinson’s attorneys also asked the judge to delay his preliminary hearing on May 19 and give them more time, alleging that they had not been shown key evidence that prosecutors would bring against the suspect.
‘We have a right at a preliminary hearing to both examine and cross-examine witnesses,’ defense attorney Richard Novak argued in court. ‘We can’t do that when the ATF and FBI have not provided us with appropriate discovery.
‘We can’t present any expert testimony on DNA without having the underlying data.’
Prosecutors countered that Utah state law has a low bar at preliminary hearings to only show probable cause.
Ryan McBride, with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, said preliminary hearings have just ‘one purpose and one purpose only: to determine probable cause’, reports KSL.
It comes weeks after Utah prosecutors released a new trove of evidence in the case, including documents alleging Robinson told his transgender lover he ‘had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I took it’ moments after killing the conservative activist, court records claim.
Documents released earlier this month showed investigators zeroed in on Robinson’s communications with his partner, Lance Twiggs, after he allegedly killed Kirk on September 10.
The suspect texted Twiggs when he went to Utah Valley University on the day of the shooting, telling him to ‘drop what you are doing’ and ‘look under my keyboard’, the filings said.
Under the keyboard, Robinson allegedly left a note reading: ‘If you are reading this per my text, then I am so sorry.
‘I left the house this morning on a mission, and set an auto text. I am likely dead, or facing a lengthy prison sentence.’
The accused killer then allegedly confessed to killing the Turning Point USA co-founder in the letter, writing: ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.’
‘I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you. I wish we could have lived in a world where this did not feel necessary,’ he allegedly wrote.
‘I wish I could have stayed for you and lived our lives together. I lack the words to express how much I love you, and how very much you mean to me. Please try and find joy in this life. I love you, always, -Tyler.’
Robinson seen holding his head in his hands at an earlier court hearing in December 2025
Lance Twiggs was revealed in February to have emerged in public after going underground for five months following Kirk’s murder
Details of Robinson’s alleged letter had been previously cited by authorities at the time of Kirk’s murder, but the latest document release offered a fuller picture of Robinson’s communications on the day of the shooting.
Search warrants conducted after Robinson’s arrest were also detailed, which noted a ‘burnt note found in the trash’ was seized by investigators.
These operations also seized DNA that prosecutors say places Robinson at the scene of the shooting.
‘Fingerprints and a smeared palm print in the vicinity of the northeast corner rooftop edge of the Losee Center building, where Robinson dropped off the rooftop to the ground below’ were found, according to the documents.
Cellphone data also allegedly showed Robinson’s location throughout the day of the shooting, including a route he made on Google Maps leading to an area near the UVU campus, the warrants state.
The alleged letter to Twiggs comes as the Daily Mail exclusively revealed in February that he emerged from hiding after almost five months underground following Kirk’s murder.
The reclusive 22-year-old has quietly rebuilt his life hundreds of miles south in Texas after reconciling with his strict Mormon family, it was revealed.