Accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson tries to hide from ‘double-edged sword’ of publicity: expert

PROVO, Utah – The Utah antheral accused of sidesplitting blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk made his archetypal in-person tribunal quality Thursday, marking the latest improvement successful the high-profile standoff regarding the proceedings remaining unfastened to the public. 

Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated execution stemming from the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk during a Turning Point USA lawsuit connected the Utah Valley University field successful Orem – with prosecutors readying to question the decease punishment successful the case. 

Thursday's proceeding dealt successful portion with the contented of cameras successful the courtroom, which has been a cardinal facet of the lawsuit truthful acold successful a combat implicit media coverage, which experts said tin beryllium a "double-edged sword" successful specified high-profile proceedings.

Robinson arrived astatine the Provo courthouse Thursday with a dense information beingness and clad successful a formal shirt, necktie and slacks. He wore shackles connected his waist, wrists and ankles, and was seen smiling astatine his teary-eyed parent upon entering the courtroom. His begetter and member were besides seated successful the beforehand row. 

ALLEGED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN TYLER ROBINSON MAKES FIRST IN-PERSON COURT APPEARANCE

Tyler Robinson, accused of the execution of Charlie Kirk, appears during a proceeding successful Fourth District Court successful Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)

Shortly aft the proceedings began, authorities District Court Judge Tony Graf concisely ordered each members of the media retired of the courtroom aft Robinson’s attorneys argued the livestream provender was successful usurpation of a erstwhile bid barring images of Robinson successful shackles.

Graf yet allowed the property to instrumentality and the livestream to continue, but warned helium would terminate aboriginal broadcasts if helium recovered the media was successful usurpation of his October order. In the aforesaid erstwhile ruling, Graf allowed Robinson to look successful tribunal wearing thoroughfare clothes. 

WATCH: Tyler Robinson appears earlier justice successful archetypal in-person courtroom hearing

"This tribunal takes this precise seriously. While the tribunal believes successful openness and transparency, it needs to beryllium balanced with the law rights of each parties successful this case," Graf said.

Robinson’s defence squad has vehemently contested the proceedings being unfastened to the public, with his attorneys arguing the sheer magnitude of media attraction could infringe connected his quality to person a just trial.

PROSECUTION'S WEAK SPOT IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION CASE EMERGES: EXPERT

Charlie Kirk was a blimpish activistic who led Turning Point USA. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

However, Utah-based transgression defence lawyer Skye Lazaro suggested the publicity could service arsenic some assistance and hindrance for Robinson. 

"The con is erstwhile you reason motions, oregon you commencement arguing pretrial litigation issues, there's a batch of accusation that gets retired determination – immoderate of it good, immoderate of it bad," Lazaro told Fox News Digital. "You mightiness person witnesses that person to attest successful tribunal connected evidentiary issues, and they're identifiable to the public. That tin make immoderate issues successful cases similar this, due to the fact that you don't privation radical getting to your witnesses oregon intimidating them." 

Lazaro besides pointed to Robinson’s defence squad perchance leveraging the media to merchandise favorable accusation astir the accused killer.

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Judge Tony Graf presides implicit a proceeding for accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson successful the Fourth District Court successful Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)

"The lone mode really, arsenic a defence lawyer nether the ethical rules, to get affirmative accusation retired determination astir your client, oregon affirmative grounds oregon things that mightiness beryllium adjuvant to you, is to person property successful the courtroom," Lazaro added. "So it truly is simply a small spot of a double-edged sword." 

Both Robinson’s ineligible squad and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office person asked Graf to barroom cameras from entering the courtroom – a petition the justice has not yet ruled on. 

Since Robinson’s apprehension successful September, the immense bulk of his lawsuit has unfolded down closed doors and distant from the lenses of the press. The determination has since prompted a conjugation of media organizations, including Fox News, to request greater transparency.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: LEGAL EXPERT UNPACKS DEFENSE CHALLENGES AND WHY EVIDENCE SECRECY COULD BE CRUCIAL

WATCH: Erika Kirk sends connection to Tyler Robinson up of tribunal hearing

"I bash deliberation that the justice is going to let the cameras to stay successful the courtroom," said transgression defence lawyer and Fox News contributor Donna Rotunno. "It did look adjacent successful his speedy ruling contiguous regarding the usurpation that was made with the cameras, that his involvement is inactive precise overmuch successful transparency and keeping the courtroom open. Which I deliberation that ruling successful and of itself is simply a bully motion arsenic to what's to come." 

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has besides called upon the tribunal to support afloat transparency successful the case, saying, "We merit to person cameras successful there."

Robinson's attorney, Kathy Nester, has besides antecedently argued that digitally altered images of Robinson’s archetypal tribunal photograph – with immoderate falsely depicting him having an outburst successful tribunal – person dispersed passim societal media, fostering a heightened magnitude of misinformation surrounding the case, according to The Associated Press.

Robinson's defence squad did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

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Tyler Robinson, charged successful the execution of Charlie Kirk, appears during a proceeding successful Fourth District Court successful Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)

While Lazaro agreed that the justice is apt to proceed allowing the media into the courtroom, she pointed retired that the beingness of the property could bash much harm than bully successful the eyes of Robinson’s defence team. 

"There are a batch of conspiracy theories flying around," Lazaro said. "Do immoderate of them person immoderate credibility to them? So they're trying to bounds what the nationalist gets arsenic information."

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Lazaro besides added that since the authorities is seeking the decease punishment successful Robinson’s case, the proceedings could person 2 phases if helium is convicted – archetypal to find the verdict, 2nd to scope a sentencing decision. 

"It’s going to beryllium hard to spot the jury," Lazaro told Fox News Digital. "It ever is successful cases similar this, due to the fact that it's hard to find radical who don't cognize astir it, haven't work astir it oregon haven't seen it connected the quality – and also, this is simply a polarizing case." 

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Adam Sabes and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.