A Utah judge is expected to make a key decision on Oct. 27 how the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk will appear in court.
Kirk, a 31-year-old influential ally of President Donald Trump and cofounder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down on Sept. 10 while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, was charged with aggravated murder and other felonies in September after turning himself in to authorities. Prosecutors are now seeking the death penalty.
Robinson's attorneys asked the court to allow him to appear in civilian clothes without restraints "to maintain the presumption of innocence" and protect his right to a fair trial. The defense noted there was precedent for granting such a request, citing a similar temporary motion granted in the trial of Bryan Kohberger, who was sentenced to life in prison in July for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students.
Prosecutors opposed that request in a court filing that has not been made public because it contains information regarding security measures in the high-profile case, according to Christopher Ballard, a spokesperson for the Utah County Attorney’s Office. A closed-door hearing on the issue was held on Oct. 24.
