In a Friday hearing, Judge Tony Graf denied a motion from the defense of Tyler Robinson that sought a stay on proceedings in the case, including the preliminary hearing, while an appeal to the Utah Supreme Court regarding the judge’s ruling allowing cameras in the courtroom plays out. 

Graf said that the defendant “has not established either a sufficient concrete thread of irreparable harm, or that the balance of equities favor a stay.”

Graf noted that “The court takes the defense’s concerns seriously. The potential impact of extensive media coverage in a capital case is neither hypothetical nor trivial. The court further recognizes, unlike many forms of pretrial prejudice, widespread dissemination of information through modern electronic media may be difficult or impossible to fully reverse once it occurs.”

“The question presently before the court, however, is whether the record establishes a sufficient concrete and imminent risk of prejudice to justify staying all proceedings while interlocutory review remains pending,” he added. “The court concludes that the asserted threat of prejudice has not yet been shown on the present record to be sufficiently concrete to justify the extraordinary relief requested.”

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