Tyler Robinson hearing Day 4: : Court expected to play critical roommate video interview
News Team
PROVO, Utah (KIFI) — The high-profile preliminary hearing for 23-year-old Tyler Robinson is scheduled to resume in a Utah courtroom today, where a judge will ultimately determine if there is sufficient evidence for him to stand trial for the murder of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
Thursday’s hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. You can watch the proceedings live in the video player above.
According to CNN, Utah prosecutors are expected to play portions of a videotaped statement by Robinson’s roommate today. Court documents identify the roommate as Robinson’s romantic partner, making them a pivotal witness in the state’s case. Messages sent between the pair on the day of the shooting allegedly contain a confession from Robinson.
On Wednesday, day three of the hearing, Judge Tony Graf ruled that 20 minutes of the 37-minute interview can be played in court. This decision followed a request from Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, to have the interview played in its entirety, according to CNN.
While the defense and prosecution debated which portions of the tape should be admitted, Jeffrey Neiman, the attorney representing the Kirk family, advocated for full.
“The Kirk family believes strongly that if the evidence is being admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see. No redactions,” Neiman told the court. “This court has tools at its exposure, uh tools at its disposal to make sure the defendant receives a fair trial. You’ll use them if you find that you need to. That’s it, Your Honor. To not be transparent here. To not be open, to not let the world see what happened, will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system. And that’s not what anybody wants. That’s not what any of us believe should happen here. And we’d ask the court to consider the position of the family in making its ultimate decision.”