Latest / The Vault: The Epstein Files / Tyler Robinson’s Motion Opposing Electronic Media Coverage (8/27/26)
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
- 0:03Speaker 1: this episode, we're jumping back into the Tyler Robinson conversation,
- 0:07Speaker 1: and we're going to take a look at the defendant
- 0:09Speaker 1: Tyler James Robinson's opposition to the EMC order for the
- 0:14Speaker 1: September 1st, 2026 hearing. And this just builds on what
- 0:18Speaker 1: we were talking about yesterday with Tyler Robinson and cameras
- 0:22Speaker 1: in the courtroom. State of Utah plaintiff. First, Tyler James Robinson,
- 0:28Speaker 1: the defendant. Defendant Tyler James Robinson's opposition to EMC order
- 0:33Speaker 1: for the September 1st, 2026 hearing. Case number 251403576. Defendant
- 0:42Speaker 1: Tyler James Robinson, by and through his undersigned counsel, hereby
- 0:46Speaker 1: files this opposition to KUTV's August 17th, 2026 EMC request,
- 0:53Speaker 1: docket 710. This objection is grounded in Mr. Robinson's rights
- 0:57Speaker 1: to a fair trial. to due process of law, and
- 1:00Speaker 1: to a reliable penalty determination under state and federal constitutional provisions,
- 1:06Speaker 1: including the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments to
- 1:10Speaker 1: the United States Constitution and to Article I, Section 7
- 1:15Speaker 1: and 12 of the Utah Constitution. First, Mr. Robinson reiterates
- 1:20Speaker 1: his continuing objection to the EMC Challenge procedure in the
- 1:24Speaker 1: May 8, 2026 order. The four-page Limitation on Objections The
- 1:29Speaker 1: prohibition on oral argument, the lack of an opportunity for
- 1:33Speaker 1: an evidentiary hearing, and the inability to seek relief from
- 1:37Speaker 1: a challenged EMC order violate state and federal constitutional rights
- 1:41Speaker 1: to due process because the procedural restrictions deprive the parties
- 1:45Speaker 1: of a meaningful opportunity to be heard. C.U.S. Constitution Amendment
- 1:51Speaker 1: 14 Utah Constitution Article 1 Section 7 Coleman v. Alabama
- 1:55Speaker 1: 377 U.S. 129-12933, 1964, Chandler v. Florida, 449 U.S. 560-577, 1981. Second, Mr. Robinson,
- 2:09Speaker 1: objects to EMC of the preliminary hearing, including the oral
- 2:13Speaker 1: arguments on September 1st, 2026, because there is a reasonable
- 2:17Speaker 1: likelihood that electronic media coverage will prejudice the right of
- 2:21Speaker 1: the parties to a fair proceeding. Utah, administration rule 401.012BI.
- 2:30Speaker 1: Continuing EMC of the proceedings, in this case, particularly the
- 2:34Speaker 1: preliminary hearing, threatens Mr. Robinson's rights to a fair trial
- 2:37Speaker 1: by an impartial jury by perpetuating bias in the public
- 2:41Speaker 1: against Mr. Robinson. The pre-existing bias and the lasting threat
- 2:45Speaker 1: to a fair trial posed by that bias was detailed
- 2:49Speaker 1: in Mr. Robinson's motion to exclude still photographers, TV cameras,
- 2:53Speaker 1: and microphones from the courtroom in in his reply and
- 2:56Speaker 1: was elucidated in the evidence presented in support of the
- 2:59Speaker 1: motion on April 17, 2026. See Docket 305-399. The motion, reply,
- 3:07Speaker 1: and the evidence supporting these pleadings are hereby incorporated by reference.
- 3:12Speaker 1: Additional evidence of bias developing as a result of the
- 3:15Speaker 1: widespread publication of this case can be tracked in real time, redacted.
- 3:21Speaker 1: Specific to the oral argument on the preliminary hearing, The
- 3:24Speaker 1: EMC will memorialize and widely disseminate argument discussing the largely
- 3:29Speaker 1: hearsay-based evidentiary presentation made by the state. Such evidence is,
- 3:34Speaker 1: by its very nature, insufficiently reliable for admission at trial.
- 3:39Speaker 1: CEG Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. 560-567, 1986 Central to
- 3:47Speaker 1: the right to a fair trial guaranteed by the Sixth
- 3:50Speaker 1: and Fourteenth Amendments is the principle that one accused of
- 3:53Speaker 1: a crime is entitled to have his guilt or innocence
- 3:56Speaker 1: determined solely on the basis of the evidence introduced at trial.
- 4:01Speaker 1: By continuing to livestream these proceedings and the anticipated discussions
- 4:05Speaker 1: of the evidence not yet deemed reliable enough for trial,
- 4:09Speaker 1: there is a substantial risk that potential jurors will develop
- 4:12Speaker 1: prejudgments based upon inadmissible evidence. It bears repeating that the
- 4:18Speaker 1: state of Utah is seeking the death penalty against Mr. Robinson.
- 4:22Speaker 1: The taking of evidence during the prelim examination, oral arguments
- 4:26Speaker 1: on that evidence, and the determinations made by the court
- 4:30Speaker 1: based upon that evidence is a critical stage of these
- 4:33Speaker 1: capital proceedings. The media presence in the courtroom both distracts
- 4:37Speaker 1: and places added pressure on hearing participants to present for
- 4:41Speaker 1: the media as opposed to focusing on the facts, evidence,
- 4:44Speaker 1: and mechanics of the case. See State v. Aguayas, 2003
- 4:49Speaker 1: Utah 102-63 P. 3D 731. Trial judges are encouraged to continue
- 4:56Speaker 1: to exercise caution in maintaining quiet and non-distracting courtroom environments
- 5:01Speaker 1: in all cases, and particularly in capital proceedings. Weighing Mr.
- 5:06Speaker 1: Robinson's interest in a fair proceeding against the interest in
- 5:10Speaker 1: an EMC, Mr. Robinson's interests must necessarily prevail. This is
- 5:15Speaker 1: so because Mr. Robinson is constitutionally entitled to a fair proceeding,
- 5:20Speaker 1: but conversely, there is no right to electronic media coverage.
- 5:24Speaker 1: See Richmond Newspapers, Inc., 1st Virginia, 448 U.S. 555-564-1980, noting
- 5:32Speaker 1: the defendant's superior right to a fair trial compared to
- 5:35Speaker 1: the public's right of access. See also Nixon, 1st Warner Communications, Inc.,
- 5:39Speaker 1: 435 U.S. 589-610-1978. The requirement of a public trial is
- 5:41Speaker 1: satisfied by the opportunity of members of the public to
- 5:51Speaker 1: and the press to attend the trial and to report
- 5:53Speaker 1: what they have observed. And as the Utah Court of
- 5:57Speaker 1: Appeals has articulated, the Utah Rules of Judicial Administration are
- 6:01Speaker 1: not intended to limit, modify, or create substantive rights for
- 6:05Speaker 1: any other court participant. See Scott v. Majors, 1999, Utah
- 6:09Speaker 1: Appeals 139, 12980 P. 2D 214. Third, Mr. Robinson objects to
- 6:11Speaker 1: EMC of the preliminary hearing in its entirety because this
- 6:21Speaker 1: court's procedure for adjudicating the request does not allow any
- 6:25Speaker 1: opportunity for witnesses to address privacy or security concerns relevant
- 6:31Speaker 1: under Rule 4-401.01, 2B2, and 4. As previously argued, those
- 6:38Speaker 1: concerns are substantial with respect to defense counsel, and witnesses
- 6:42Speaker 1: should be afforded the opportunity to be heard on these issues.
- 6:46Speaker 1: of note based upon information provided by the Utah County
- 6:50Speaker 1: Attorney's Office, individuals who provided 1102 statements for the prelim
- 6:55Speaker 1: hearing and whose information was put into the public record
- 6:58Speaker 1: during the hearing, shortly thereafter experienced harassment by media and
- 7:02Speaker 1: interested parties appearing at their home. The ECM of the
- 7:07Speaker 1: proceedings has real-world consequences for witnesses. Therefore, Mr. Robinson requests
- 7:12Speaker 1: that this court deny the request for EMC of the
- 7:16Speaker 1: prelim hearing. Respectfully submitted this 22nd day of August, 2026,
- 7:21Speaker 1: and it was signed by Kathy Nestor, Richard Novak, Michael Burt,
- 7:26Speaker 1: and Stacey Visser. All the information that goes with this
- 7:30Speaker 1: episode can be found in the description box.