Privacy urged for Kirk murder hearing | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2026/may/20/privacy-urged-for-kirk-murder-hearing/

Publish Date: 2026-05-20 05:00:00

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PROVO, Utah — Lawyers for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk urged a Utah judge Tuesday to seal some evidence and bar reporters and the public from parts of a key upcoming hearing after the judge declined to ban news cameras from the courtroom.

Tyler Robinson’s defense has argued that broadcasts of the proceedings create media frenzies that often misrepresent him and could bias potential jurors. They hope to restrict access to parts of his preliminary hearing, scheduled for July 6-10, during which prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to warrant a trial.

That hearing will mark the most significant presentation of evidence to date in a case that has focused largely on public access during its first eight months.

State District Judge Tony Graf said he will rule June 1 on whether to implement restrictions.

The defense began Tuesday by urging Graf to punish prosecutors for comments that one of them, Christopher Ballard, made outside of court. Richard Novak, an attorney for Robinson, said Ballard essentially went on a “media tour” in which he made “expressions of opinion as to Mr. Robinson’s guilt.”

Prosecutors responded that Ballard had a right to speak to reporters to correct misinformation about an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts, which led to speculation about Robinson’s possible exoneration. “Here he was representing the true nature of that report” and did not make a statement of opinion about guilt, Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said.

Graf didn’t immediately decide whether to grant the defense’s request for an evidentiary hearing on the matter.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Robinson, 23, is convicted. He is charged with crimes including aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of…

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