SALT LAKE CITY — Utah State District Judge Tony Graf is set to decide on Friday whether news outlets can film, photograph and livestream the murder case against the man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Graf is also expected to rule on a defense request to delay defendant Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for May.

Media organizations, prosecutors and Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, have asked the court to allow cameras in the proceedings. Robinson's attorneys argue that filming and broadcasting the case could bias potential jurors by portraying the defendant unfavorably based on his appearance or behavior in court.

Graf has previously tightened rules for cameras after media pool members violated a courtroom order by showing Robinson's shackles and taking close-up images of him talking to his attorneys. The judge relocated cameras to the rear of the courtroom, behind Robinson, making it harder to capture images of him.

Graf has also rejected attempts by Robinson's attorneys to block the release of transcripts from closed-door hearings. In December, he said that transparency was "foundational" to the judicial system.

Robinson is charged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck on September 10 while addressing students at Utah Valley University in Orem.

Authorities said DNA consistent with Robinson's was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle. Robinson's attorneys say the preliminary hearing should not take place until federal law enforcement agencies turn over more details about their DNA analysis. Prosecutors say they have sufficient evidence beyond DNA to convict Robinson, including surveillance video and a handwritten note he allegedly left for his romantic partner confessing to the crime. At the preliminary hearing, prosecutors must show they have enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Fox News commentators said Robinson treated Kirk "like a trophy." Judges typically retain broad discretion over which parts of a case can be broadcast and who can be filmed or photographed, and cameras have become more common in state courts in recent years. Cameras are generally barred in federal criminal trials. Under New York state law, cameras were barred during Donald Trump's 2024 hush money trial, and media organizations used sketch artists to capture the proceedings. Photos and videos have exposed the inner workings of major U.S. criminal trials, including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial and O.J. Simpson's double murder trial.