A judge ruled Monday that transcript and audio be released from a previously sealed hearing in the murder case against the man accused of killing political activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder in the shooting of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus where he was holding an event in September. Kirk was killed in broad daylight while speaking to a crowd when a shot rang out and he began bleeding profusely, according to video and witness accounts.
Kirk was in Utah as part of a tour of college campuses with Turning Point USA, a conservative political organization Kirk co-founded. Kirk’s killing was described as a political assassination by high-profile politicians, including President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robinson, who has not yet entered a plea in his case.
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf said Monday that the court has "remained mindful of its duty to balance competing constitutional interests" when weighing arguments on whether to release a transcript from a closed-door hearing earlier this year.
Graf ultimately ordered the release of the audio and transcript from the Oct. 24 hearing with some limited redactions. It is up to the discretion of the court on whether to close a record, but Graf also said he understood the public's right to access.
"After full consideration of these arguments, the court determined that 246 words, approximately one page of the 80 page transcript should be redacted," Graf ruled.
The transcript should be in the court docket by the end of the day, but the audio file of the hearing may take longer, Graf said.
A separate hearing is expected to take place on a decision on whether to allow cameras access to Robinson's hearings.
Robinson’s attorneys want to limit media access to his hearings out of concern that relentless coverage could taint the jury pool. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office has also supported limited media access to the courthouse.
Attorneys representing media organizations on both local and national levels have argued the First Amendment guarantees it access as the "courts do the public’s business," in a motion filed to the court earlier this month.
"In the end, every high-profile criminal prosecution has significant pretrial publicity, no matter where it occurs," the motion said.
Kirk's widow, Erica, called for full transparency and said that the public deserves to have cameras there.
Robinson's attorneys asked the court to consider the "realistic likelihood of prejudice" against Robinson.
The state alleges that Robinson targeted Kirk, a polarizing political activist, for his political views. According to an indictment filed in September, Robinson's family said that he had been increasingly concerned about LGBTQ rights and had texted his roommate that he "had enough of his hatred" in reference to Kirk.
Robinson allegedly implied that he planned to take his own life in a conversation with his father after Kirk's death but was persuaded to turn himself in to authorities.
