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Police convoy, armored SWAT truck descend on Utah courthouse for Tyler Robinson hearing

A caravan of law enforcement, including an armored SWAT vehicle, arrives at a Provo, Utah courthouse as authorities prepare for Tyler Robinson’s scheduled court hearing on Dec. 11, 2025.

PROVO, Utah – The Utah man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday, marking the latest development in the high-profile standoff regarding the trial remaining open to the public.?

Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder stemming from the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk during a Turning Point USA event on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem – with prosecutors planning to seek the death penalty in the case.?

Thursday's hearing dealt in part with the issue of cameras in the courtroom, which has been a key aspect of the case so far in a fight over media coverage, which experts said can be a "double-edged sword" in such high-profile proceedings.

Robinson arrived at the Provo courthouse Thursday with a heavy security presence and clad in a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He wore shackles on his waist, wrists and ankles, and was seen smiling at his teary-eyed mother upon entering the courtroom. His father and brother were also seated in the front row.?

ALLEGED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN TYLER ROBINSON MAKES FIRST IN-PERSON COURT APPEARANCE

Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)

Shortly after the proceedings began, state District Court Judge Tony Graf briefly ordered all members of the mediaout of the courtroom after Robinson’s attorneys argued the livestream feed was in violation of a previous order barring images of Robinson in shackles.

Graf ultimately allowed the press to return and the livestream to continue, but warned he would terminate future broadcasts if he found the media was in violation of his October order. In the same previous ruling, Graf allowed Robinson to appearin court wearing street clothes.?

WATCH: Tyler Robinson appears before judge in first in-person courtroom hearing