Jonathan Turley: This will harden the jury in the Tyler Robinson case
In a chilling revelation during Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing in Provo, Utah, former roommate Lance Twiggs took the stand to recount Robinson’s unsettling confession to the murder of Charlie Kirk. The prosecution presented text messages and a handwritten note, both suggesting premeditation and regret. Legal analysts Jonathan Turley and Donna Rotunno weighed in on the profound impact of the evidence, which included engraved bullets, as well as Robinson’s in-court demeanor.
Robinson’s defense team is urging the judge to prohibit cameras from his upcoming September 1 hearing. They argue that televised coverage risks turning the legal proceedings into a spectacle akin to a “reality TV show.”
“The presence of cameras in the courtroom serves as a distraction and puts undue pressure on participants to perform for the media, rather than concentrate on the facts and mechanics of the hearing,” stated Robinson’s attorneys, Kathy Nester, Michael Burt, Richard Novak, and Staci Visser, in a Saturday court filing. They emphasized, “Mr. Robinson’s case should not be sensationalized into reality television.”
The defense contends that live broadcasts and images from the hearing might prejudice the public against Robinson by prematurely revealing evidence which might ultimately be inadmissible at trial.
Tyler Robinson, charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, made an appearance during a hearing at Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, on Thursday, December 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
“Specific to the oral argument on the preliminary hearing, the EMC (electronic media coverage) will memorialize and widely disseminate argument discussing the largely hearsay based evidentiary presentation made by the State,” the lawyers wrote. “Such evidence is, by its very nature, insufficiently reliable for admission at trial.”
Both of the filings also included redacted paragraphs after Robinson’s lawyers alleged that, “Additional evidence of bias developing as a result of the widespread publication of this case can be tracked in real time.”
Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
The defense also claimed that witnesses who provided statements that were admitted as “reliable hearsay” ahead of the week-long July preliminary hearing “experienced harassment by media and interested third parties.”
Robinson is the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, 31, at a Turning Point USA event in Orem, Utah, last year. Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.
People run after shots were fired during an appearance by Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Separately, a source close to the Kirk family said Tuesday that Kirk’s widow Erika, and his parents, Rob and Kathy, all plan to attend the Sept. 1 hearing together as they did during the July hearing.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. will hear oral arguments from both sides regarding the evidence introduced in July and will decide whether there’s enough probable cause to justify sending Robinson to trial on the charges against him.
An approximation of the suspected movements of Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, based on court documents, video from the scene and conversations with law enforcement. (Google Maps, News Media)
Robinson’s defense objected to hearsay evidence from the preliminary hearing and also opposes the sole aggravating factor in the aggravated murder charge that carries the potential death penalty — that Robinson allegedly put other people at great risk of death by shooting Kirk in a crowded place.
Investigators search a taped-off area in Orem, Utah, Thursday, September 11, 2025. The search is believed to be related to the hunt for evidence in the assasination of Charlie Kirk yesterday during a rally at UVU. (Derek Shook for News Media)
The defense argued that only a single shot was fired, from an elevated position. It traveled over the crowd, rather than through it, and it only struck Kirk.
Prosecutors countered that Robinson was a bad shot, one who “seldom hit the bullseye and sometimes misses the target completely” when practicing shooting with the suspected murder weapon.
Robinson, 23, has not yet entered a plea.