After five days of testimony, the evidentiary phase of the preliminary hearing in the Charlie Kirk case has concluded. No ruling was reached because a preliminary hearing is not a trial.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys will now prepare written legal briefs. Both sides are scheduled to return to court September 1 for final arguments before Judge Tony Graf decides whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence for the case to proceed toward trial.

Case status

No determination of guilt has been made

Tyler Robinson is charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. He has not entered a plea and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The preliminary hearing addresses probable cause—not guilt or innocence.

What happened

The hearing followed five days of testimony in the case against Robinson, who is charged in connection with Kirk’s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University in September 2025.

Prosecutors presented witness testimony, surveillance footage, forensic evidence, digital communications and other material they say establishes probable cause. Defense attorneys challenged portions of that presentation, including the reliability or conclusiveness of some forensic evidence, and argued that investigators did not adequately pursue evidence pointing to other possible suspects.

A wide view of the courtroom during the preliminary hearing in the Charlie Kirk case
Video still courtesy: Utah State Courts / KSL Pool.
The facts presented

What each side emphasized

  1. Prosecution

    Witness testimony, surveillance footage, forensic testing, digital communications and other evidence the state says supports probable cause.

  2. Defense

    Questions about portions of the forensic evidence, whether some evidence conclusively connects Robinson to the crime and whether alternative leads were sufficiently investigated.

  3. The judge

    The court has not ruled on guilt or innocence. Judge Graf must decide whether the legal standard for moving the case forward has been met.

In plain English: What is a preliminary hearing?

A preliminary hearing is a checkpoint in a criminal case. The prosecution must present enough evidence to support a reasonable belief that a crime was committed and that the defendant committed it.

The judge is not deciding whether Robinson is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. That question would be reserved for a trial if the case is bound over and ultimately reaches that stage.

What happens next

Attorneys for both sides requested time to review the hearing transcript and submit written briefs. Final arguments are scheduled for September 1.

If Judge Graf finds probable cause, the case can move forward toward trial. If the required standard is not met for one or more charges, those charges may not proceed in their current form. A decision may come after the September arguments rather than immediately in court.

Good News Now will continue following this story and provide updates as new, verified information becomes available.

Good News Now social report about what happens next in the Charlie Kirk case
From the feedYou saw the court update. Here is the fuller context.Good News Now graphic. Court video still courtesy: Utah State Courts / KSL Pool.
Reporting Notes

Sources and further reading