A Utah judge ruled on Monday that the “public and the media enjoy a presumptive right to access court proceedings” regarding the suspected assassin of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson, and therefore, he will not conduct key parts of an upcoming hearing in the dark.
The 23-year-old Robinson has been charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder, for allegedly shooting Kirk in September 2025 at a TPUSA event. His defense has repeatedly tried to hide pre-trial hearings and evidence from the public.
Not this time:
During previous hearings, the defense argued that having the public and press present could create unfair prejudice against their client, complicating the process of forming an unbiased jury.
[Fourth Circuit Judge Tony Graf] Graf didn’t agree.
“The public and the media enjoy a presumptive right to access court proceedings, including preliminary hearings. A party seeking to close a preliminary hearing must show that adverse publicity traceable to the open hearing poses a realistic likelihood of prejudice to a fair trial to overcome this presumption,” Graf said in his ruling. “The party seeking closure must also show there are no less restrictive alternative means to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the jury. Public access to judicial proceedings also serves an important role in maintaining confidence in the fairness and transparency of the judicial process.”
“This court finds these showings have not been made here,” he said.
🚨 JUST NOW: The judge has RULED AGAINST Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson's legal efforts to seal off parts of the case to the public
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 1, 2026
GOOD, KEEP IT ALL PUBLIC
They took Charlie from us publicly. Release it all. pic.twitter.com/SRrK5pXwMS
PREVIOUSLY: Charlie Kirk's Widow Demands Cameras in Court: They Were 'All Over My Husband When He Was Murdered'
New: Judge Unseals ATF Report in Charlie Kirk Assassination Case
In a second decision, Graf weighed in on whether prosecutors violated a gag order he handed down in September of ’25, which ordered both sides to avoid talking to the media about the case.
During a hearing last month, Robinson’s defense argued that Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray and Deputy County Attorney Chris Ballard violated the publicity order in place by making comments to multiple media outlets, including Fox News, USA Today and TMZ.
Graf said the defense “made a sufficient preliminary showing under Utah law to warrant further proceedings,” but so far, “does not constitute a finding of contempt.”
He scheduled an evidentiary hearing for the already-set court date on June 12.
Judge Graf on Tyler Robinson case:
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 1, 2026
"Defendant Tyler Robinson filed a motion seeking an order to show cause on why Utah County Attorney Jeff S. Gray and Utah Deputy County Attorney Chris Ballard should not be held in contempt of violating pretrial." pic.twitter.com/urAimDgNZS
The defense will keep throwing up every roadblock they can think of to exclude evidence from admission and keep the evidence from the public — because there’s a whole lot of it and none of it is good for their side. Hopefully, Graf will continue to rule in favor of transparency and ensure that Charlie Kirk gets the justice he deserves — even if it won’t bring him back.
Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at RedState, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical Left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.
Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its successes. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member