Tyler Robinson, accused in Charlie Kirk killing, smirks and chuckles during first in-person court appearance, with family in tow

Tyler Robinson appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.AP

The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk appeared calm and even chuckled with his lawyers during his first in-person court appearance, as a judge officially named Erika Kirk the victim representative for her slain husband.

Tyler Robinson, 22, entered the Provo, Utah courtroom wearing a blue button-down shirt and argyle tie, while his attorneys argued against media coverage of the hearings. They claimed cameras could influence potential jurors and create “chaos” in the trial.

“We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom,” Robinson’s attorney, Staci Visser, told the court. Judge Tony Graf was also asked to decide whether parts of an October hearing transcript—where Robinson was allowed to wear street clothes—should be made public.

Graf postponed rulings on both requests after holding a more than two-hour private session and set a new hearing for Dec. 29.

“I would rather do it right and take more time, than to be rash and miss the mark,” Graf said of the transcript issue, calling it an “important matter.”

Robinson’s defense continued to push for limited media access, complaining that live feeds had broadcast their conversations, documents, and even the shackles on Robinson, which violated an earlier agreement.

“We believe this threatened my client’s right to a fair trial,” Visser said. She asked cameras be turned off for the rest of the hearing, but the judge only moved them away from the defense table.

This marked Robinson’s first physical appearance in court; previous hearings had been virtual. He appeared composed despite facing serious charges for the September 10 shooting of 31-year-old Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. The attack, witnessed by thousands, left Kirk dead from a neck wound.

Robinson faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Judge Graf ordered Robinson to remain shackled, citing courtroom safety, and instructed the media not to capture images of the restraints. While the Utah County Sheriff’s Office has supported limiting cameras, Erika Kirk has advocated for full public coverage.

“There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered,” she said in November. “There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, my every smile, my every tear. We deserve to have cameras in there.”

At least, the judge granted her request to serve as the official victim representative.

“This court will recognize Miss Erika Kirk as the designated victim representative in this case,” Graf said.