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In a recent decision, a judge has opted for transparency in the case involving Tyler Robinson, who stands accused of attempting to assassinate Charlie Kirk. This ruling will result in most of Robinson’s court filings being made accessible to the public. However, some motions put forward by his legal team will remain confidential, at least for the time being.
Judge Tony Graf of the 4th District made this announcement on Friday, emphasizing that most of the four motions submitted by Robinson’s defense do not meet the criteria for being deemed “private.” This decision aligns with a report from KSL, highlighting the court’s commitment to keeping proceedings open where possible.
The motions in question include a request to seal a filing from January 9, which contained exhibits, a plea to prohibit cameras in the courtroom, a bid to keep a response to this motion confidential, and a request to close portions of an upcoming hearing scheduled for April 17 to the public.
Robinson’s attorneys argued that the January 9 filing should remain confidential, citing concerns that it contained evidence not yet formally admitted in court. They expressed worries that this could influence potential jurors unduly.
Despite these concerns, Judge Graf determined that the defense had not provided adequate justification for how the evidence in the January 9 filing might sway a jury. As a result, he ruled that this motion should be made public, reinforcing the principle of transparency in judicial proceedings.
After listening to two hours of testimony, the judge reportedly described the evidence in the January 9 documents are mainly technical, scientific testing of collected evidence, and consequently denied the motion to keep it private.
When deciding on whether or not to exclude cameras from the courtroom, Judge Graf said that while he is sensitive to the pretrial publicity and conspiracy theories surrounding the case, “the public already has access to the majority of information contained in the motion.”
Therefore, the judge said he was only partially denying Robinson’s request to keep that motion sealed, and give the murder suspect’s defense team until March 30 to submit a revised redacted motion, allowing information deemed “private” to remain redacted.
While Robinson’s attorneys argue that allowing cameras in the courtroom will threaten the 22-year-old suspect’s right to due process and a fair trial, prosecutors say “keeping court proceedings as public as possible helps to quell and contradict the tide of misinformation.”
The defense’s reply — which included their attempt to keep media out of the courtroom — and the motion to keep that sealed from the public, was also denied by Judge Graf, who determined the material did not contain any private information.
Meanwhile, the merits of whether cameras should be allowed in the courtroom during the trial will reportedly be debated during Robinson’s April 17 hearing.
Judge Graf noted that on April 17, he will make rulings as needed as to whether potions of the hearing should be private or open to the public.
Robinson is charged with capital murder and faces a possible death sentence if he is convicted of assassinating Turning Point USA founder and conservative icon Charlie Kirk on September 10 during a campus event at Utah Valley University.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.