Legal Expert Warns Against Hidden Hearings In Charlie Kirk Murder Case

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 2:24 AM

legal expert warns against hidden hearings in charlie kirk murder case

Defense attorney and former prosecutor Joshua Ritter unpacks the hearings against Tyler Robinson on 'The Story.' A Utah judge’s decision to hold repeated off-camera hearings for the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is drawing warnings from legal experts who say the move sacrifices transparency in... Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of shooting the 31-year-old father of two as he delivered remarks during an event at Utah Valley University last month — but the suspect has not been seen publicly... "If the public can't see who's speaking in a courtroom, that's a serious transparency issue," said Randolph Rice, a Maryland attorney and legal analyst. "Our justice system depends on open proceedings and the public needs to know that the person who is answering questions is the same person that is accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk." CHARLIE KIRK'S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN WILL NOT SHOW FACE IN COURT, KEY HEARING POSTPONED

A judge in Utah is facing criticism for conducting multiple off-camera hearings in the case of Tyler Robinson, the man charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA. Legal experts argue that these private sessions compromise the transparency vital to such a prominent case in the state. Robinson, aged 22, is accused of fatally shooting 31-year-old Kirk while he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last month. Since his arrest and initial court appearance, Robinson has not been seen by the public. Randolph Rice, a legal analyst and attorney from Maryland, expressed concerns over this lack of visibility. “When court proceedings are not open to the public, it raises serious transparency issues,” he remarked.

“It’s crucial for the public to see that the individual answering questions in court is indeed the person accused of this crime against Charlie Kirk.” On September 10, 2025, Kirk was tragically shot and killed at Utah Valley University. Robinson’s initial court appearance was conducted via video on September 16, but he has remained out of the public eye since then. Official court records do not confirm whether jail guards were present with Robinson during these remote hearings, leading to speculation about the authenticity of his participation. Robinson was slated for an in-person court appearance, but his second off-camera hearing occurred just days before this scheduled date. The court has now postponed this hearing until January, citing the need for additional time to allow both legal teams to prepare and gather evidence.

In an unusual move drawing significant criticism from legal experts, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is being kept off-camera during court hearings, raising serious questions about judicial transparency... Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with shooting Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University last month, has effectively vanished from public view since his initial court appearance. The decision by Judge Tony Graf to allow virtual, audio-only hearings has sparked concerns about court transparency and the public’s right to observe justice in action. “If the public can’t see who’s speaking in a courtroom, that’s a serious transparency issue,” noted legal analyst Randolph Rice, highlighting how foundational open proceedings are to the American justice system. This unusual approach has even led some courtroom observers to question whether it was actually Robinson’s voice they heard during remote hearings, as there’s no visual confirmation of his identity during these proceedings. The court has made several accommodations that appear designed to protect Robinson’s image, including postponing an in-person hearing until January, permitting him to wear civilian clothes in future court appearances, and blocking news photographers...

While Judge Graf denied a motion to have Robinson appear without restraints altogether, the comprehensive effort to manage his public presentation has raised eyebrows. As criminal defense attorney Joshua Ritter observed, “There seems to be an inordinate concern with his public perception… Great lengths are being made to make sure his presumption of innocence is maintained for the... Experts suggest the judge may be acting with extreme caution to avoid potential grounds for appeal, but they warn this approach comes at a significant cost. “The judge is being extremely cautious to avoid an appeal for unfairness later by the defendant,” Rice explained, “But while doing that, he is sacrificing transparency and that is a dangerous trade-off in a... While judges do have discretion regarding what the public can observe in courtrooms, the extraordinary measures in this case have prompted legitimate questions about whether the scales have tipped too far away from transparency. The absence of visual confirmation of Robinson’s identity and participation in his own hearings creates a troubling precedent, particularly in a case of this magnitude.

The suspected assassination of a prominent political figure naturally draws intense public interest, and the lack of visual access to the accused feeds into a problematic information void. As Rice warned, “Keeping a defendant completely off camera for too long in a high-profile case like this only fans the flames of conspiracy. Conspiracies are born out of a lack of information, allowing the public to draw their own conclusions, no matter how far-fetched or unfounded.” This concern highlights the delicate balance courts must maintain between protecting... SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Judge Tony Graf Jr. has found himself at the center of one of Utah’s most closely watched murder cases less than two months after taking the bench. Tyler James Robinson was accused of killing Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University.

If convicted, he could face the death penalty. When new cases are filed, they are randomly assigned a judge through the state’s computerized Court Records Information System. Cases are assigned equally among all judges at a court location, according to a spokesperson for the Utah State Courts. “This is going to be a career-defining moment, and judges don’t usually get that six weeks in,” said attorney Nathan Evershed, who is not connected to the Robinson case but has worked with Graf... The two served together in the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office more than a decade ago. Evershed described Graf as sharp and steady, with the kind of decisiveness required for high-stakes trials.

A significant vulnerability may be emerging in the case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged with murdering conservative leader Charlie Kirk, according to a prominent Utah defense attorney. The issue centers on the timeline of events surrounding the killing—an inconsistency that could undermine prosecutors as the defense prepares to stretch the discovery process over the next year. Kirk, 31, a husband and father of two, was shot dead around 12:20 p.m. on September 10 while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. As founder of the conservative youth organization, Kirk had built Turning Point into a national movement that energized millions of young conservatives and helped expand the modern Republican base. “There’s just so much we don’t know yet as this case develops,” Skye Lazaro of Salt Lake City law firm Ray Quinney & Nebeker told Fox News.

According to court documents, the discovery phase officially began Monday, with prosecutors given five days to disclose initial evidence. Robinson’s attorneys already pushed his waiver hearing back by one month, signaling a long and drawn-out process ahead. While some evidence has been made public through law enforcement statements and charging documents, one key detail stands out — text messages between Robinson and his partner, Lance Twiggs, allegedly admitting to Kirk’s killing,... PROVO, Utah — One of the biggest vulnerabilities in the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin, Tyler Robinson, could be the prosecution’s timeline, according to a prominent Utah defense attorney — and she expects... Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was shot and killed around 12:20 p.m. on Sept.

10 while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. He was a founder of the conservative student group, which had a national footprint and is credited for a resurgence of youth support for the Republican Party. “There’s just so much we don’t know yet as this case develops,” said Skye Lazaro, of the Salt Lake City firm, Ray Quinney & Nebeker. The defense doesn’t know much yet, either. The discovery process began Monday with a five-day deadline for prosecutors to make their initial disclosures, and Robinson’s team already pushed his waiver hearing back by a month. Some evidence has been made public already, at news briefings, in comments from authorities or in the charging documents filed last week.

Prosecutors included damning text messages between Robinson and his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, in which he allegedly took responsibility for Kirk’s murder. But they don’t include timestamps.

Legal Expert Warns Against Hidden Hearings In Charlie Kirk Murder Case

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