Charlie Kirk murder accused Tyler Robinson asks for trial camera ban

The man accused of killing right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk wants a judge to ban cameras in court, saying live broadcasts are violating his right to a fair trial.

Tyler Robinson, 23, from Utah, is charged with aggravated murder in relation to the shooting of Mr Kirk at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

Robinson is due in court on Friday and his attorneys are pressing their claims that biased coverage is tainting potential jurors.

"The predominant purpose being served by the live stream coverage has not been the educational reporting of the court proceedings, but rather advertising profit, sensationalism, political agendas, and, most prominently, the vilification of Mr Robinson," his team wrote.

Among the numerous examples they cite is a New York Post story about his first court appearance on 11 December, when a conversation he had with his attorneys was scrutinised using "lip reading analysis".

This analysis was used to support the claim that Robinson said: "I think about the shooting daily". His lawyers say the story suggests Robinson confessed to Mr Kirk's killing.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty for Robinson if he is convicted over the 10 September shooting of the conservative activist.

Video of the incident showed Mr Kirk, 31, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, reaching up with his right hand after a gunshot was heard as blood came out from the left side of his neck. He died shortly after.

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Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

The prosecution, the media, and Mr Kirk's widow, Erika, want the court to allow cameras, arguing that transparency is the best way to guard against misinformation and conspiracy theories.

But the media has already tested the patience of Judge Tony Graf with its livestreaming from court.

During the December hearing, he briefly stopped the livestream and ordered the camera relocated after it showed the defendant's shackles, violating a courtroom decorum order.

A January hearing was interrupted too, when Robinson's attorneys argued that close-up shots of him livestreamed by a local television station could again lead to claims based on lip reading.

The judge ordered the camera operator not to film Robinson for the remainder of the hearing after this further violation of his decorum order.

But he has so far focused on whether rules are being followed inside his court, not what the media are saying outside of it.

Different states have different policies on cameras in court and many, including Utah, give judges discretion over whether to allow them, though they are generally prohibited in federal courts.

"There's Supreme Court precedent that says courts generally need to be open to the public, but that's not an absolute right," said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown.

"Even if they allow public access, that does not equal a right to broadcast or record."

(c) Sky News 2026: Charlie Kirk murder accused Tyler Robinson asks for trial camera ban