A Utah judge is weighing the public's right to know details in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson against his attorneys' concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.
Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom.
Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept.10 assassination of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.
Robinson arrived in court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Robinson's father and brother sat next to her.
The defendant had previously appeared in court via video or audio feed from jail.
A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to preserve media access in the case.
Graf has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public attention.
Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson's courtroom attire and security protocols. Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson is allowed to wear street clothes in court during his pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns. Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson's restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.”
