Judge Allows Charlie Kirk's Alleged Shooter to Wear Civilian Clothes During High-Profile Murder Trial

Tyler Robinson, charged with shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been granted permission to wear civilian attire during his trial instead of prison clothes.

In the United States, a Utah judge ruled on Monday that the 22-year-old alleged shooter may dress in street clothes throughout his trial proceedings to avoid potentially biasing the jury.

Robinson stands accused of fatally shooting Kirk, a prominent conservative figure and close associate of US President Donald Trump, during a public event at a Utah university campus on September 10.

If convicted of the charges against him, Robinson could face the death penalty.

Defense attorneys argued that requiring their client to appear in prison uniform throughout such a high-profile case would unfairly influence potential jurors who would likely see images of him in media coverage.

Judge Tony Graf, who presided over the hearing, stated: "Mr. Robinson's right to the presumption of innocence outweighs the minimal inconvenience of permitting civilian attire and Mr. Robinson shall be dressed as one who is presumed innocent."

However, given the severity of the allegations, the judge declined to allow Robinson to appear in court without restraints. While he will remain handcuffed during court appearances, media outlets are prohibited from broadcasting photos or videos showing him in restraints.

Robinson participated in Monday's hearing remotely via videoconference from his jail cell.

According to authorities, Robinson allegedly fired a single shot from a rooftop, striking 31-year-old Kirk in the neck in front of thousands of attendees. The incident has further intensified political divisions in an already polarized nation.

The most serious charge against Robinson is aggravated murder, accompanied by additional charges including obstruction of justice and witness tampering for allegedly instructing his roommate to remain silent about the incident.

Kirk, a father of two, had built substantial audiences across social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where he promoted conservative viewpoints and frequently criticized the transgender rights movement.

Court documents reveal that after the shooting, Robinson reportedly sent messages to his roommate—who is believed to be transgender—stating he had "enough of his (Kirk's) hatred."