Attorneys Seek to Ban Cameras in Trial for Shooting of Activist Charlie Kirk

Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, who is charged in the September shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus, filed a motion on Friday to ban cameras from his Utah courtroom. Prosecutors in Utah County have filed a response arguing in favor of allowing cameras, stating that transparency could help dispel misinformation. A trial date has not been set.

Robinson's attorneys stated they fear media coverage could foster bias against their client.

Utah County prosecutors stated in a court filing: "Transparency serves as a corrective to misinformation."

Judges typically retain discretion over which parts of a case can be broadcast and who can be filmed. Concerns historically raised about cameras in courtrooms include potential jury bias and participants altering their behavior because they are being watched.

The Longstanding Debate Over Cameras in Court

The debate over cameras in courtrooms has occurred throughout U.S. legal history, with rules evolving over decades.

• 1935: Cameras were present at the trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, charged with kidnapping and killing Charles Lindbergh's son. The extensive media coverage led to new judicial ethics rules that restricted cameras for decades.
• 1965: The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Billie Sol Estes, ruling that the televised coverage of his trial deprived him of a fair trial.
• 1981: The Supreme Court ruled in an 8-0 decision that states could allow cameras at criminal trials, stating there was no empirical data showing broadcast media inherently has a negative effect.

Following the 1981 ruling, cameras became more common in state and local courtrooms.

Notable televised trials included those of serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, the prosecution of Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King case, and the murder trial of Jodi Arias. The 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson was broadcast and had high viewership.

Restrictions on cameras vary by jurisdiction. For example, Donald Trump's 2024 conviction in a New York hush money case was not broadcast due to state law, with media using sketch artists instead.