A Utah judge has mandated the release of a transcript from a private hearing held in October, which deliberated whether Tyler Robinson, the accused in the killing of Charlie Kirk, should be shackled during court appearances.

Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder for allegedly shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, a short distance from the Provo courthouse. Prosecutors intend to pursue the death penalty in this case.

In early October, Robinson’s defense team requested that he be permitted to appear in court dressed in civilian attire and without any restraints, aiming to eliminate potential juror bias against him.

Following a closed-door hearing on October 24, Judge Graf decided that Robinson could wear civilian clothes but must remain shackled. Utah court regulations stipulate that defendants in custody are to be restrained unless a court order states otherwise.

In an order dated October 27, Judge Graf justified the restraints, citing the need to ensure the safety of court personnel and the defendant, enabling quick control in the event of any disruptions during proceedings.

But the judge said Monday that public transparency was “foundational” to the judicial system before ordering details of the closed hearing to be released. The judge ordered limited redactions to remove discussions of security protocols in the closely watched case.

Graf also ordered the release of an audio recording of the hearing, again with redactions.

Lawyers for the media wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which the attorneys argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters.

Graf has said in a separate order that Robinson’s restraints could not be shown by media outlets that publish photographs of court proceedings or broadcast them.

Graf briefly stopped a media livestream of a hearing earlier this month and ordered the camera be moved after Robinson’s attorneys said the stream showed the defendant’s shackles.

In a separate ruling Monday, Graf denied a request from attorneys for the media who sought to intervene in the case. The judge said members of the press do not need to be formal parties in the proceedings to access court records.

Robinson was not present in court Monday but appeared via audio link from the Utah County Jail. In a separate ruling on

A preliminary hearing, where prosecutors will lay out their case against him, is scheduled for the week of May 18.