Nearly ten months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University, the preliminary hearing for his accused killer Tyler Robinson finally opened Monday — and the facts presented in that courtroom matter more than the theories circulating outside it.
Robinson, 23, faces aggravated murder charges and potential death penalty for the September 10 shooting. This week's five-day hearing determines whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case to trial. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and his parents sat in the Provo courtroom as the state began laying out its case.
The defense has dragged this process out at every turn. Robinson's attorneys tried to delay this week's hearing by petitioning the Utah Supreme Court, which denied them last Thursday. They fought to keep cameras out of the courtroom. They sought to suppress broadcast of video evidence and exhibits. Judge Tony Graf split the difference — cameras allowed, but no broadcast of the shooting video or evidence exhibits. The defense also tried to block Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, from testifying via anything other than in-person cross-examination; Graf rejected that too.
The question is straightforward: why does the defense want this hearing hidden? HotAir noted the obvious — the defense has an interest in keeping facts from potential jurors, and may be hoping that conspiracy theories circulating online will confuse enough people to land a sympathetic juror. The New York Post framed the hearing as an attempt to
