SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawyers for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk will make their case Tuesday to close portions of a key hearing and seal some evidence after a judge rejected their request to ban news cameras from court.Tyler Robinson’s defense has argued that broadcasts of the proceedings create a media frenzy that often misrepresents him and could bias potential jurors. They hope to keep private portions of his preliminary hearing, scheduled for July 6-10, when prosecutors must show they have enough evidence against Robinson to proceed to trial. The July hearing will mark the most significant presentation of details to date in a case that has focused largely on public access in its first eight months.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 the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Prior to his death, Kirk and the conservative youth movement he founded, Turning Point USA, emerged as a major force in U.S. politics that was considered instrumental in getting President Donald Trump elected to a second term.
