By Andrew Hay
July 8 (Reuters) – A Utah judge on Wednesday barred parts of a recorded interview with the roommate of Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer from being played in court after a defense lawyer said prosecutors would portray the clips as “confessions” and jeopardize the defendant’s right to a fair trial.
In response to the defense concerns, District Court Judge Tony Graf called for several cuts to what could be played in court, but noted he would consider the entire recording in determining whether prosecutors had made a case to try Tyler Robinson, 23. Robinson faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Investigators allege Robinson shot Kirk, 31, in front of thousands of people as the prominent ally of President Donald Trump debated with students at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
The ruling on the interview with Lance Twiggs came on the third day of a key hearing in Provo, Utah. Twiggs has not been charged in the case. On April 20 he agreed to take part in an interview with prosecutors and police in lieu of having to testify in this week’s preliminary hearing, prosecutor Lauren Hunt told the court.
Robinson’s lawyer Richard Novak unsuccessfully called on Graf to have the video shown in a closed hearing, saying it could prejudice potential jurors and violate Robinson’s rights to a fair trial.
“We are very concerned that the publication of what the state will call confessions at trial violates Mr Robinson’s due process rights,” Novak said.
Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, was in the courtroom for a third day. Her lawyer called for the video to be played in full.
“To not be transparent here, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,” attorney Jeffrey Neiman said in court.
Prosecutor Hunt said her team would make Graf’s requested cuts to the video and planned to play it in court on Thursday.
Graf suggested that he was unlikely to make a ruling this week on whether prosecutors could proceed to trial.
“After this hearing I’ll review everything again,” he said.
The hearing, expected to last all week, is the first public test of prosecution evidence concerning Kirk’s assassination, one of a series of attacks that have intensified concern over U.S. political violence.
Robinson, who was studying to be an electrician at the time of the shooting, has yet to enter a plea in the case. In court this week, his lawyers have suggested police failed to investigate possible evidence that someone else was involved in the killing.
Prosecutors have said they plan to present as evidence text messages between Robinson and Twiggs and messages in a Discord group chat. Some of that material already has been made public in court filings, but Robinson’s defense team said televising it presented a serious threat to his constitutional rights.
In alleged text messages after the shooting, prosecutors say Twiggs asked Robinson if he shot Kirk and Robinson said he did.
Asked why he shot Kirk, he replied to Twiggs: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” according to the texts made public in court filings.
Prosecutors contend the texts and note indicate Robinson targeted Kirk because of his conservative political views. The defense disputes the prosecution’s characterization and has sought to limit the use of evidence he had a political motive, which could be used in arguments for the death penalty.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico. Editing by Donna Bryson and Shri Navaratnam)
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