Preliminary Hearing Update in Tyler Robinson Case

Tyler Robinson, who stands accused of assassinating prominent conservative figure Charlie Kirk, has had his legal team request a postponement for the preliminary hearing. They also want to understand who the prosecution intends to call as witnesses.

A filing from Robinson’s defense, submitted on Friday, indicated that the prosecution plans to summon Robinson’s parents along with his roommate and boyfriend, Lance Twiggs. Additionally, they are seeking at least a six-month delay for the preliminary hearing, which is currently set for May 18.

The defense team noted that during a meeting on March 12, they received over 600,000 files from the prosecution. Robinson himself expressed that it would take time to go through all this information, emphasizing that the discovery process isn’t complete yet.

One expert hired by the defense, a forensic biologist, estimated that reviewing the evidence could take around six months.

Robinson’s motion does not, however, ask for a delay regarding the next trial scheduled for April 17. This upcoming hearing is set to address media and public access during court proceedings, including a defense request to prohibit cameras in the courtroom.

The defense plans to present evidence that they believe demonstrates “previous harmful and prejudicial media coverage of this case.”

According to the defense, while they might not be able to cover everything in their “Motion to Exclude Cameras,” they intend to highlight the most outrageous and distressing media portrayals that may have impacted Robinson’s case.

At a hearing on February 24, Judge Tony Graf had already denied a motion from Robinson’s team to remove the prosecution from the case. They had argued there was a conflict of interest since the prosecutor’s daughter had been present at an event when Kirk was shot.

Graf stated that the court was not convinced by the defense’s claims about potential bias from the prosecution. In his remarks, he noted that the defendant had not demonstrated any significant risk that the prosecutor would be compromised due to his family ties, nor had the defense shown that Robinson’s due process rights would be at risk from the continued involvement of the Utah County Attorney’s Office.

Robinson faces severe charges, including aggravated murder, stemming from the alleged killing of Kirk on September 10, 2025. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.