By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Fourth District Utah Judge Tony Graf, Jr. has ruled that a redacted audio recording and transcript of a closed-door hearing which involved alleged assassin Tyler Robinson—accused in the September slaying of Charlie Kirk—may be released.
Fox News is reporting that “a group of local and national media outlets, including Fox News” had filed a motion for “limited intervention,” asking for “formal recognition from the court, advance notice of attempts to seal future hearings or otherwise limit access to the courtroom, including by banning cameras, and to give the media time to oppose such restrictions.”
Back in November, Kirk’s widow, Erika, pushed to allow cameras in the courtroom during Robinson’s trial, Fox News reported at the time.
It was in reporting the Kirk assassination that a major media outlet, the British Daily Mail, called the scoped, bolt-action rifle—in this case the .30-06-caliber hunting rifle allegedly used to assassinate Kirk on Sept. 10 in Utah—a “high-powered sniper rifle.” TGM reported this development in September. The rifle was a sporterized gun built on a Mauser ’98 action.
Kirk’s slaying was captured on video from different angles. A single shot was fired before the crowd estimated in the thousands began scrambling to get away from the spot on the college campus where Kirk, a conservative activist, was speaking.
According to Fox News, Judge Graf denied the media motion citing a prior order “telling lawyers for both sides they must notify the media before attempting to have future hearings behind closed doors.”
Robinson is due back in court Jan. 16 for another hearing, Fox reported.
Kirk’s assassination rocked the conservative movement, because he was a communicator who promoted open dialogue with liberals, and he focused primarily on younger voters, causing them to question many of the beliefs they held.
Interestingly, there were no widespread demands for additional gun controls in the aftermath of the assassination, which was a departure from the normal chain of events following a high-profile shooting. Whether this was because a bolt-action rifle, rather than a semi-auto, was used would be pure speculation.
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University when he was murdered. At the time of the Daily Mail report, Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, noted in a statement to the media, “The media couldn’t blame Kirk’s murder on a so-called ‘assault rifle,’ so they’re doing the next worst thing. They’ve slapped a defamatory label on commonly-owned hunting rifles, hoping to make them the new bogeyman for the gun ban lobby. The Daily Mail has pulled a page out of the gun control playbook simply for the purpose of sensationalism. It doesn’t pass the smell test.”
