Dec 11 (Reuters) - Tyler Robinson, the accused killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, made his first in-person court appearance on Thursday as a judge heard arguments on what level of media access should be allowed in the high-profile criminal case.
Robinson, wearing a dress shirt and striped tie, talked with his lawyers, at times smiling, after he was brought into the Provo, Utah, courtroom in handcuffs and shackles. Robinson's parents and brother were present, his lawyer Richard Novak said. His mother wiped away tears as he entered, according to a Salt Lake Tribune reporter present in the courtroom.
Local television stations showed an armored SWAT truck in the convoy of vehicles that brought Robinson, 22, to the courthouse about four miles (6 km) from where Kirk, 31, an ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead on September 10.
U.S. District Court Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from Robinson's attorneys who want to ban cameras from the courtroom in a case that has drawn extraordinary media attention. David Reymann, an attorney representing media organizations, called on the court to grant his clients access to recordings and transcripts from closed-session court hearings in the case.
"We don't want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom," said Robinson's attorney Staci Visser.
Graf scheduled a December 29 video call to give his ruling on media access and set May 18-21 for an in-person preliminary hearing.
At the request of ;state prosecutors, Graf designated Erika Kirk, Kirk's widow, as the victim representative in the case.
JUDGE AIMS TO PROTECT PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE
Robinson is accused of firing a single round from a rooftop that killed Kirk during a Turning Point USA event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles (65 km) south of Salt Lake City, as Kirk debated with students.
Kirk's death sparked denunciations of political violence across the ideological spectrum.
Since Robinson's first court appearance via video link on October 27, Graf has made rulings designed to protect his presumption of innocence in a case he said had drawn "extraordinary" public attention.
The judge ruled Robinson could appear in court in regular clothes but must be physically restrained. Graf prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson's handcuffs and shackles after his lawyers said images of him restrained could prejudice jurors.
On Thursday, Graf briefly halted the livestream and ordered a videographer to move to a new position. Visser had called for the broadcast to be terminated after it ;showed Robinson's shackles.
One videographer and one photographer have been designated by the court to share images and audio from the courtroom with other news outlets.
Erika Kirk, now head of Charlie Kirk's conservative Turning Point organization, has called for cameras to be allowed in the courtroom to preserve transparency.
Robinson is charged with seven criminal counts, including aggravated ;murder, obstruction of justice for disposing of evidence, and witness tampering for asking his roommate to delete incriminating texts. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Donna Bryson, Rod Nickel and David Gregorio)
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