Judge Denies Erika Kirk’s Request to Publicly Display All Evidence During Preliminary Hearing
Erika argued: “At a minimum, every exhibit entered into evidence during the preliminary hearing must be visible to every person lawfully present in the courtroom”
The judge denied Erika Kirk’s request to make all hidden evidence public during the trial:
Judge Tony Graf denied a request from Erika Kirk’s lawyer seeking to have all evidence in the preliminary hearing presented in open court.
“The court has considered the request that exhibits be displayed in real time to the courtroom. After careful consideration, the court determines that not all exhibits will be visually displayed to the gallery and notes that it will use a tiered method as described first, whether it will be admitted to the court for consideration as it relates to probable cause. Second, whether it will be displayed only to the gallery, and third, if it will be published through the camera, to the public at large,” Graf said.
The family made the request on Wednesday:
Charlie Kirk’s widow and parents say they were prevented from viewing evidence during the accused assassin’s preliminary hearing, arguing in a new court filing that victims have a legal right not only to attend criminal proceedings but to meaningfully observe the evidence presented in open court.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk outside a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10, 2025. A preliminary hearing is underway to determine whether the case will move forward to trial.
In a supplemental notice filed Wednesday, Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, asked a Utah judge to require that all evidence admitted during the remainder of Robinson’s preliminary hearing be displayed in real time for everyone lawfully present in the courtroom. The filing also asks the court to republish exhibits admitted during the first three days of the hearing that were not shown publicly.
“The Victim’s Family’s position is simple. At a minimum, every exhibit entered into evidence during the preliminary hearing must be visible to every person lawfully present in the courtroom,” the court filing read. “To receive evidence in a manner shielded from those seated in the courtroom – as happened today – is not transparency. And in the absence of transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories related to the tragic assassination of Mr. Kirk will continue to proliferate in the public domain, breeding doubt and distrust in the judicial system. This is not what anyone should want.”
The filing says the Kirk family waited 10 months for the preliminary hearing and traveled to the courthouse to witness the proceedings, only to find themselves unable to view certain evidence admitted during testimony.
Attorneys wrote the family was “present in body” but denied the ability to “meaningfully observe the preliminary hearing.”
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