Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Granted Court Attire Change

Tyler Robinson, accused of attempting to assassinate Charlie Kirk, has been permitted to wear civilian clothing in court. This decision follows a similar request from Luigi Mangione, another alleged political assassin.

The 22-year-old Robinson faces charges for shooting Kirk, a father of two, in the neck with a bullet marked with a pro-transgender message. He sought to appear in court dressed in his own clothes even before the jury trial gets underway.

Judge Tony Graff approved the attire request but denied Robinson’s appeal to be unshackled, citing concerns for the safety of both the public and court staff.

During the hearing, Judge Graf emphasized that Robinson “must carry the presumption of innocence.” However, he instructed the media not to capture images of Robinson while in restraints—essentially asking for discretion regarding the handcuffs.

Robinson was present in court via video from jail but was not clearly visible. He spoke briefly, confirming he could hear the judge when asked.

His legal team argued in an earlier motion that his case could suffer from bias if he continued wearing prison attire and shackles during trial. The lawyers noted that their own clothing—a suicide prevention vest—could unfairly attract “endless scrutiny,” as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, filed sealed documents in response to the defense’s arguments, asserting that the information they had could pose risks to personal and public safety.

Similar circumstances surround Mangione, who sought to be rid of bulletproof vests and handcuffs during his case. Prosecutors argued against any special treatment for him as well, and during his last hearing, he appeared in a prison uniform but without a bulletproof vest.

Typically, defendants are allowed to wear regular clothes in court to prevent jurors from making assumptions about their guilt based on prison attire.

Robinson stands accused of killing Kirk, 31, a prominent conservative figure and founder of Turning Point USA, during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10th.

He faces charges of aggravated murder among others, and so far, he has not provided a defense regarding the incident. In Utah, where the death penalty is legal, a conviction could result in execution by firing squad.

Notably, former President Trump, a close friend of Kirk’s, has expressed support for disciplinary measures against Robinson.

Robinson is next set to appear in court on January 16th.