Erika Kirk demands that Robinson's trial be expedited
Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk's calls to expedite the trial of Charlie Kirk's alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, after multiple delays.
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of murdering Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, asked a Utah judge to block video of the murder from being introduced into evidence at a hearing scheduled for February 3.
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck at Utah Valley University in September while participating in a speaking event sponsored by the university's Turning Point chapter.
In a memo filed Tuesday, Robinson's attorneys asserted that the video is irrelevant to his motion to disqualify the county attorney's office from handling the case and would violate his right to a fair trial.
THE SON OF A PROSECUTOR WITNESSED THE MURDER OF CHARLIE KIRK. CAN YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE CASE?
Tyler Robinson, left, is accused of fatally shooting Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, right, at a speaking event at Utah Valley University in September. (Bethany Baker/Pool via REUTERS, Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Robinson's attorneys have accused the Utah County Prosecutor's Office of having a conflict of interest because the adult son of a deputy prosecutor was present during the murder. Prosecutors have denied a conflict and said they do not need or plan to rely on the adult son as a witness.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
Several videos of Kirk's murder circulated widely online minutes after the shooting. It was not immediately clear from court documents whether the video that prosecutors planned to present as evidence had been publicly viewed before.
JUDGE PRESIDING TYLER ROBINSON CASE URGED TO MONITOR DEFENSE DELAY TACTICS
Tyler Robinson, charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
The defense described it as a color video taken “just a few feet away from Mr. Kirk.” It includes audio “including unidentified voices, immediately before, during and after the shooting.”
Read the presentation:
SIGN UP FOR THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
“This is a strong argument,” said Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is seen on stage at the Fiserv Forum during preparations for the Republican National Convention on July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
He said prosecutors do not need to play the clip to illustrate that they do not need to rely on the adult child's testimony or argue that they do not have a conflict.
CHARLIE KIRK'S WIDOW, ERIKA KIRK, DEMANDS A SPEEDY TRIAL, ALLEGING 'UNDUE DELAY' BY TYLER ROBINSON'S DEFENSE
“The video should not be played if it is not necessary to demonstrate material issues at the hearing,” he said. “I don't see how it is necessary to determine whether the accusation should be disqualified.”
Skye Lazaro, a Salt Lake City-based criminal defense attorney who is not connected to the case, said she would not like the video played either. However, he said, it is unclear how the judge will rule.
“I'm not sure they're going to be successful there,” she told Fox News Digital.
UVU students pause for reflection as they view the site where Charlie Kirk was murdered, Orem, Utah, Wednesday, September 17, 2025. (Matthew Finn/Fox News)
Also in the filing, the defense claimed that news coverage of the case had been “highly biased” and told the court that they planned to ask for the cameras to be removed once again at the beginning of the next hearing. They wrote that if the video of Kirk's murder is played in court, it would be “subject to immediate national and international publication.”
Many outlets, including Fox News Digital, have avoided republishing the widely circulated murder video due to its extremely graphic nature.
SEND US A TIP HERE
Robinson faces seven charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the possible death penalty.
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? FIND MORE AT THE TRUE CENTER OF CRIME
An approach to the suspicious movements of Tyler Robinson, the alleged murderer of Charlie Kirk, based on court documents, videos of the scene and conversations with authorities. (Google Maps, Fox News Digital)
He has not yet pleaded guilty.
He is due back in court Tuesday for the second day of a hearing on his defense team's motion for prosecutors to start the case.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Utah County Prosecutor Jeff Gray will return to the witness stand.
A deputy prosecutor from his office, the prosecutor's adult son and a state investigator are also expected to testify.
