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Let's get into it:
The preliminary hearing began on Monday in the trial of Tyler Robinson for the murder of Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors brought evidence and testimony to make their case that there is probable cause that Robinson is the guy while his attorneys did everything they could to prevent that evidence from being entered into the court record.
There were a few new details, chief among them is that police were able to place Robinson and his car on the Utah University Campus four times over the course of the day on September 10, 2025, even into the night and the early hours of September 11. Which means he was definitely there.
Reports from inside the courtroom are that Robinson did not turn around, not even once. His parents sat on the benches. So did the family of Charlie Kirk, his parents, sister, and widow. But Robinson kept his face forward, or joked around with his lawyers. He never once took stop of how many lives he had ruined entirely.
Once the preliminary hearings are over, Judge Tony Graf will decide if the prosecution has made their case and a trial can begin. It's only then that a jury would be convened so that Robinson's peers can determine his guilt. If he's convicted, he will face the death penalty. It seems to me that many of the objections and procedural questions being brought by the defense are less about this preliminary hearing and more about staging an appeal.
I can't imagine the anguish of the families, watching the hearing play out, the evidence being presented, having to relive the horrors they went through in September. It was reported that members of the Kirk family, specifically Erika, did not sit through the description of his shooting.
I know that horrible things happen every day, that men are lost, wives and children abandoned. And those are all grave tragedies. But there's something horrific about it playing out in public the way this has. And with Charlie... so many hearts were broken by this, not just his family, but all of us who admired him and respected him, his fans, his friends.
We'll be tracking the hearing all week. Proceedings are set to resume on Tuesday morning in the courtroom in Provo, Utah.
Libby