A Utah judge ordered a secret hearing in the criminal case against Tyler Robinson for allegedly assassinating conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, be made public.
Judge Tony Graf announced during a roughly 20-minute long hearing held over video that transcript for an Oct. 24 closed-door hearing in Robinson’s case will be released with certain redactions by the end of the day Monday. He will also be releasing the audio of that hearing but said it could take two weeks for that to be made public.
Robinson did not appear on screen during the video hearing, but was heard saying, “Yes, your honor,” when Graf asked him if he was present for the Monday hearing.
The Oct. 24 hearing was held in private to review whether Robinson would be allowed to appear in future hearings in civilian clothing and unshackled. Graf ruled that he could wear non-jail clothes but would have to remain restrained in court for safety reasons.
Earlier this month Robinson, 22, appeared in-person in the case for the first time for his lawyers to argue that the press shouldn’t be allowed to film hearings in the case because it could prejudice potential jurors and lead to an unfair trial. However, several hours of the hearing was conducted in private outside of the presence of the press and the public.
Defense lawyer Staci Visser blasted media outlets, claiming they failed to follow Graf’s order when they allegedly captured Robinson on camera in his shackles.
“We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom,” Visser claimed at the time.
Robinson is facing seven felony charges of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Kirk, 31, was struck by a single bullet to the neck in front of a crowd of thousands at a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
He was the co-founder of Turning Point USA and had been at the event as part of his American Comeback Tour. The rising MAGA star is survived by his wife, Erika, and two young kids.
Erika has been outspoken about wanting cameras in the courtroom so that the public can see her husband’s accused killer and debunk conspiracy theories about Charlie’s murder.
She has been deemed the official victim representative in the case.
Robinson could face death by firing squad if convicted, since the Beehive State is one of five that allows that particular method of capital punishment.
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