The widow and parents of conservative activist Charlie Kirk are demanding that a judge reveal all evidence presented during the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused of his assassination. In a new court filing, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, asserts that victims have a legal right not only to attend criminal proceedings but also to meaningfully observe the evidence presented in open court.
Robinson, 23, faces charges in connection with the death of Kirk, who was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, outside a "Prove Me Wrong" event at Utah Valley University in Orem. A preliminary hearing is currently underway to determine if the case will proceed to trial.
Erika Kirk's supplemental notice, filed Wednesday, asks a Utah judge to ensure that all evidence admitted during the remainder of Robinson's hearing be displayed in real time for all lawfully present in the courtroom. The filing also requests that exhibits admitted during the first three days of the hearing, which were not publicly displayed, be republished.
"The Victim's Family's position is simple. At a minimum, every exhibit entered into evidence during the preliminary hearing must be visible to every person lawfully present in the courtroom," the court filing states. "To receive evidence in a manner shielded from those seated in the courtroom – as happened today – is not transparency. And in the absence of transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories related to the tragic assassination of Mr. Kirk will continue to proliferate in the public domain, breeding doubt and distrust in the judicial system. This is not what anyone should want."
The Kirk family has waited 10 months for the preliminary hearing and traveled to the courthouse to witness the proceedings, only to find themselves unable to view certain evidence admitted during testimony, according to the filing. The family's attorneys wrote that they were "present in body" but were denied the ability to "meaningfully observe the preliminary hearing."
The filing further contends that Utah law guarantees crime victims and their representatives the right to be informed of, present at, and heard during important criminal justice proceedings. It argues these protections are rendered meaningless if victims are unable to see the evidence being presented to the court.
"The right 'to be present' is hollow if the victim or his representative is physically in the room but is prevented from seeing the evidence the Court is receiving," the document reads. "A right to attend that does not include the ability to perceive what is happening is not meaningful presence at all."
The filing asks the judge to display all previously admitted exhibits not shown publicly during proceedings scheduled for July 9, and to require that all future evidence admitted during the preliminary hearing be displayed openly and in real time. It also seeks to prohibit evidence from being received in a manner that conceals it from courtroom observers.
Robinson's preliminary hearing, which began Monday, is expected to continue through the week. Prosecutors are presenting evidence to establish probable cause for the case to proceed to trial on multiple charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty.