The widow of a prominent conservative activist, who was fatally shot during a public speaking event last year, is formally requesting that all evidence in the upcoming murder trial be presented openly to the public and press.
Erika Kirk, whose husband Charlie Kirk was killed in September 2025 at Utah Valley University, has filed a motion with the court arguing for full transparency. Her legal team contends that public access is essential to maintaining confidence in the judicial process and preventing the spread of misinformation.
“Without meaningful access to those proceedings, the public will be unable to directly observe and evaluate the evidence presented,” the filing states. It further warns that a lack of openness could lead to speculation and erode trust in the trial’s outcome.
This request follows a dispute over whether graphic evidence, including video of the shooting, should be publicly shown. Attorneys for the accused, Tyler Robinson, have argued that releasing such material could prejudice potential jurors and violate their client’s right to a fair trial.
Robinson, 22, was charged in connection with the shooting and made his initial court appearance in December 2025. The hearing included debates over media access to future proceedings.
In her motion, Kirk’s lawyers also addressed recent delays in the case, accusing the defense of causing “undue delay” by seeking to dismiss local prosecutors over an alleged conflict of interest. The defense claimed a conflict existed because an officer in the county attorney’s office had an adult child present during the shooting.
Kirk’s filing asserts that while the defendant is entitled to a fair trial, that right does not include unnecessarily prolonging the process, and it invokes her statutory right to a speedy trial under Utah law.
The September 2025 incident occurred approximately twenty minutes into a campus event, when an audience member asked Charlie Kirk a question about gun violence statistics. He was shot moments after his reply.