A Utah judge on Monday rejected a defense bid to close portions of next month’s preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, clearing the way for the public release of the most significant body of evidence in the case to date.

Fourth District Judge Tony Graf ruled that reporters and members of the public may attend the five-day hearing scheduled for July 6 through July 10, when prosecutors must demonstrate they have sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Robinson’s defense team had asked the court to restrict access, arguing that media coverage has sometimes misrepresented their client.

“The public and the media enjoy a presumptive right to access court proceedings, including preliminary hearings,” Graf said from the bench. He said the defense had not shown that presenting the evidence publicly would deny Robinson a fair trial.

Robinson, 23, of southwestern Utah, is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10, 2025 shooting of Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem. Kirk, the founder and president of Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump, was killed by a single rifle shot fired from a rooftop while he addressed a crowd on campus. Robinson turned himself in at his hometown sheriff’s office after a 33-hour manhunt. He has been jailed without bond.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted. He has not yet entered a plea, as Utah law does not require defendants to do so until after the preliminary hearing.

At next month’s hearing, prosecutors plan to introduce forensic analyses, surveillance video, recordings of witness statements, autopsy findings and alleged messages from Robinson admitting to the killing, according to court filings. Authorities have previously said DNA consistent with Robinson’s was recovered from the trigger of the rifle used in the shooting, a fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the weapon.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has said Robinson left a note for his partner before the shooting that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Gray also said Robinson sent a text message about Kirk to the same partner stating, “I had enough of his hatred.”

While ruling against the defense on public access, Graf agreed with prosecutors that media will be limited from viewing or copying certain exhibits that could be used at a future trial.The judge also took up a separate defense motion alleging that Gray and Deputy County Attorney Chris Ballard violated a court-ordered gag order through comments to Fox News, TMZ and other outlets. Graf said the defense had “made a sufficient preliminary showing under Utah law to warrant further proceedings,” but stopped short of finding either prosecutor in contempt. He scheduled an evidentiary hearing on the matter for June 12 and gave each side 90 minutes to present arguments.

The preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for May but was pushed back after Robinson’s defense team, led by court-appointed attorney Kathryn Nester, said it needed additional time to review what both sides have described as a “voluminous” body of evidence.

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