Martha Harris

Robinson's attorneys have repeatedly argued that allowing cameras in the courtroom could bias a jury pool.

But 4th District Court Judge Tony Graff rejected the defense's request to have a blanket ban on cameras.

In Utah state courts, there's a presumption that cameras are allowed.

The prosecution and Kirk's widow both wanted the cameras to stay.

A preliminary hearing is now scheduled for early July.

That's when prosecutors will lay out the evidence they have against Robinson.

For NPR News, I'm Martha Harris in Salt Lake City.

Utah's congressional map used to have four safe Republican seats.

But the state got a new court-ordered map last year.

It has one district that favors Democrats.

Republicans want the new map blocked and the old map reinstated for the 2026 midterms.

A panel of three federal judges denied that request.

On Friday, the Utah Supreme Court denied a separate attempt to change the map.

President Trump has pushed Republicans to redistrict so the party can hold on to the House.

As of now, it's looking increasingly likely that Democrats will have a shot at picking up a seat in Utah in 2026.

For NPR News, I'm Martha Harris in Salt Lake City.

One of the Utah County prosecutors working on this case has an 18-year-old daughter who was at the event where Kirk was shot.

Robinson's defense team argued that personal connection could cause bias.

They say that's especially risky since this is a death penalty case.

The defense thinks this means the entire Utah County Attorney's Office should be kicked off the case.