Utah judge to consider motions at preliminary hearing for man accused in Charlie Kirk shooting

Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, is scheduled to appear in court this week for a major hearing that could shape what evidence is presented as the case moves toward trial, according to CBS News. The reporting by Jonah Kaplan said the hearing is expected to be a critical step in the criminal process for the defendant, who is charged in connection with Kirk’s death.

Separate reporting by NBC News described additional issues raised before the proceeding. NBC reported that Robinson’s attorneys asked a judge to require testimony from Lance Twiggs, a former romantic partner who, prosecutors said, was living with Robinson at the time of the killing. NBC said a judge denied a request to compel Twiggs to testify in person, and instead prosecutors indicated they intend to rely on other materials such as a recorded interview.

NBC News also reported that the court was considering how prosecutors would establish probable cause at the preliminary hearing. NBC said Utah State District Judge Tony Graf Jr. granted prosecutors’ motion to quash the subpoena seeking live testimony from Twiggs, and that Graf denied Robinson’s motion seeking to prevent the state from using hearsay to establish probable cause. NBC reported that the judge said the Utah Constitution allows the state to use reliable hearsay for probable cause determinations at preliminary hearings, describing those hearings as having a limited purpose.

According to NBC, prosecutors told the court they planned to use a recorded interview in which Twiggs allegedly said Robinson confessed, concealed a weapon, disposed of clothing, and told Twiggs not to contact law enforcement. NBC also reported that the state intends to use a handwritten note Robinson gave to Twiggs, text messages, and other evidence. NBC further reported that Graf’s ruling addressed the procedural question of whether the defense could block those categories of evidence at the preliminary stage.

Additional coverage from LiveNOW from FOX indicated that Robinson’s lawyers were in court as the judge ruled on several motions, including arguments involving whether hearsay could be relied on at the preliminary hearing stage. That reporting, like NBC’s, focused on pretrial evidentiary disputes rather than the merits of the underlying allegations.

The hearing referenced in the NBC coverage is tied to a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 6, with Graf’s decisions reported as occurring in court prior to that date. CBS News’ Tuesday report similarly characterized the week as a major court window for the suspect as the case progresses, with Kirk’s supporters and family described by other outlets as planning to attend.

No trial date was described in the materials reviewed for this report. If the judge’s preliminary rulings stand, the state’s pathway to moving forward depends less on the presentation of contested testimony and more on whether the preliminary hearing record supports the legal threshold for prosecution to continue, while disputes about admissibility and witness testimony can persist into later stages.