Accused Charlie Kirk assassin files motion to ban cameras at next hearing
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Accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson petitioned the court Sunday to ban all still cameras, video cameras and microphones during a critical April 17 hearing.
Robinson is scheduled to appear in court that day, and the state and defense are expected to make hectic moves.
Judge Tony Graf did not rule on whether electronic media would be banned throughout the hearing.
Tyler Robinson, charged with the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, attends a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. (Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribune)
Fox News Legal Analyst Donna Rotunno and host of the “Crime and Justice with Donna Rotunno” podcast said Graf should “take control” and make a firm decision about the media in the courtroom for the remainder of the trial.
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He said the defense’s request that only electronic media be banned for the hearing on April 17 may be indicative of a larger strategy, and that they may seek to ban the media for every hearing. That way, if Graf rules against them, they’ll only lose the motion for that particular hearing, not all future proceedings.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, requested that cameras be allowed to be used during the hearing.
Tyler Robinson (left), accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, sits next to defense attorney Kathryn Nester during a hearing Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Fourth District Court in Provo. (Bethany Baker/Salt Lake Tribune)
“When my husband was killed, there were cameras everywhere,” she told Fox News’ Jesse Watters in an exclusive interview in November. “There were cameras everywhere where my friends and family were grieving. There were cameras all around me, analyzing my every move, every smile, every tear. We deserve to have cameras there.”
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“Why not be transparent?” Kirk continued. “There’s nothing to hide. I know there isn’t because I saw what the case was based on.”
Prosecutors also filed a response to a motion filed by Robinson’s team last week asking the court to reschedule the preliminary hearing for May 18. While the defense wants the preliminary hearing to be postponed until the expert determination is completed, prosecutors argue that the hearing should be held on the scheduled date.
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, speaks during the public memorial service for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP)
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The state claims that the defense tried to give it rights during the preparation phase of the trial that it was not entitled to until the trial, and that discovery should be left to the trial, not to the pre-trial.
Rotunno agrees that the defense was given enough discovery room at the preliminary stage of court proceedings and that the hearing should be held on May 18.
