Erika Kirk makes plea as husband's accused killer Tyler Robinson makes first court appearance
The wife of the late Charlie Kirk, Erika, has revealed a request that she has ahead of the first court appearance of Tyler Robinson, the man who has been accused of killing the conservative activist.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on 10 September at Utah Valley University as part of The American Comeback Tour, organised by Turning Point USA, with Robinson being arrested on suspicion of murder just two days later.
The far-right political activist was just 31 at the time of his death, survived by his two children and wife Erika.
Since his passing, Erika Kirk has been in the headlines for a number of reasons, one of them being her relationship with US Vice President JD Vance, which has come as part of an increased number of public appearances.
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Erika has admitted that she was 'praying' that she was pregnant at the time of Charlie's death, with her now calling for one thing in the court room following Robinson's appearance.
Robinson made his first appearance in court yesterday (11 December) as a judge heard arguments on how much access the media should have in what is a high-profile criminal case.
The suspect was seen smiling at times in the courtroom in Provo, Utah, as he was in handcuffs and shackles, as it was reported by Reuters that local TV stations filmed an armoured SWAT truck in a convoy of vehicles which brought the 22-year-old to the courthouse.
US District Court Judge Tony Graf was told by David Reymann, an attorney representing media organisations, that the media should have access to recordings and transcripts from closed-session court hearings.
Erika Kirk, who is now head of her late husband's Turning Point organisation, has also called for cameras to be allowed in the courtoom to give people full transparency, though it is unclear if this will be permitted.
Robinson's attorney, Staci Visser, argued: "We don't want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom."
The suspect faces seven criminal counts, which include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice for disposing of evidence, and witness tampering after asking his roommate to delete incriminating texts, with prosecutors making it clear that they will seek the death penalty.
It was said that one videographer and one photographer have been designated by the court to share images and audio from the court to news outlets.
Since Robinson's first court appearance through a video link on 27 October, rulings have been put in place to protect his presumption of innocence by the Judge Graf.
This is due to the 'extraordinary' public attention the case has received, with the judge even deciding that Robinson would appear in court in regular clothes, though physically restrained.
Graf also didn't allow the media to film or photograph Robinson's handcuffs and shackles as his lawyers argued that images of him restrained could prejudice jurors - Visser even called for the broadcast to be terminated after his shackles were shown.
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson, Crime, US News, Politics
Joshua Nair