PROVO, Utah - Folding chairs, sleeping pads and blankets cover the entrance to the Utah courthouse each morning ahead of the preliminary hearing for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Individuals have been arriving early, sometimes staying overnight, to secure a wristband granting entry to the courtroom. The 14 public seats are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The weeklong preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson has drawn strong national focus along with notable international interest. Continuous media coverage through livestreams and daily reports has amplified public curiosity and scrutiny, encouraging many to pursue a seat inside the courtroom.

The hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday. State District Judge Tony Graf will then determine if prosecutors have provided sufficient evidence to proceed to trial on the aggravated murder charge.

Chris Palmer, the court's director of security, informed those present on Thursday morning that tents and other camping items are now prohibited on the courthouse steps. He also stressed that line-jumping or holding places is not allowed.

Additional rules apply once inside the courtroom beyond general respect for the proceedings.

"These people come here to get justice," Palmer told the group waiting outside. "They don't need to feel like they're under a microscope when somebody's sitting behind them or ahead of them."

The scene involves controlled activity as sheriff's deputies and court personnel distribute wristbands each morning. Reporters and bloggers positioned beyond the line use cellphones to record arrivals of Kirk's relatives, Robinson's family members, or other prominent individuals such as the president's son Donald Trump Jr.

Earlier in the week, court staff indicated that public seating wristbands were being marked after discovering attempts to use purchased colored bands for unauthorized access.

Joshua Carr, a local describing himself as an independent journalist, held the first position in line on Thursday. A friend arrived at 9 p.m. the prior evening to secure the spot until Carr reached the location at 2:30 a.m.

Carr has reported on the case and associated conspiracy theories for several months.

"Being in the courtroom is a different thing because you're able to actually feel the emotions, see the expressions on people's faces that aren't shown in the public feed," he said.

Billie Webb, who traveled from Salt Lake City, has followed the investigation since Kirk was shot on Sept. 10 and attended earlier hearings on motions presented by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Webb arrived at 5 a.m. on Wednesday and ended up eighth in line because proceedings began in the afternoon. She fell short of entry on Thursday despite arriving at 3 a.m. but expressed determination to attend on Friday.

Like others, Webb sought to hear a recorded law enforcement interview with Robinson's roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, after attorneys debated its public release much of Wednesday.

Webb also plans to attend if the matter advances to trial.

"If I have to camp for 24 hours, I will," she said.

Public and media excitement over prominent cases is not uncommon and is often fueled by elements such as celebrity, politics, race or sensational aspects of the crime.

An early instance involved the 1935 New Jersey trial of the man accused of kidnapping and killing legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh's baby, which attracted large crowds and camera crews.

O.J. Simpson's double murder trial drew widespread attention in the 1990s and was frequently called the "Trial of the Century" by the public and media.

More recently, lines of spectators, protests and media presence accompanied proceedings including that of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer sentenced in 2021 to more than two decades in prison for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

That same year, people lined up for seats in a Manhattan federal courtroom during the trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. She was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by American millionaire Jeffrey Epstein.