A Utah judge will decide Monday whether to shut the public and media out of key portions of a high-stakes hearing in the case of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is facing aggravated murder charges in the Sept. 10 shooting death of Kirk at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.
The battle now centers on what the public will be allowed to see.
Robinson’s attorneys want Judge Tony Graf to restrict access to the July 6-10 preliminary hearing, where prosecutors must lay out the evidence they say links him to the killing. The defense is also asking the court to seal dozens of exhibits, arguing that widespread publicity could poison the jury pool before a trial even begins.
The hearing is expected to be the most explosive look yet at the evidence in a case that has drawn intense national attention.
Prosecutors oppose closing the courtroom but agree that some sensitive evidence should be shielded from public view. They are expected to present surveillance footage, forensic reports, witness interviews, autopsy findings and alleged messages in which Robinson appears to admit responsibility for the shooting.
Investigators say DNA matching Robinson was found on multiple key pieces of evidence, including the trigger of the rifle used in the attack, a spent shell casing, two unfired rounds and a towel allegedly used to wrap the weapon.
Perhaps most damning, prosecutors claim Robinson left behind a note for his romantic partner that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
With the possibility of a death penalty trial looming, Monday’s hearing could determine just how much of the bombshell evidence the public gets to see.
