The defense team for Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative icon Charlie Kirk, has filed a motion requesting that he appear in civilian clothing without restraints during court proceedings and that cameras be banned from the courtroom.
Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and other felonies for the September 10 shooting death of Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, during a speech at Utah Valley University.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, citing the presence of children at the event and the political nature of the crime.
In a 20-page filing submitted on Wednesday, defense attorneys, including Kathy Nester, argued that allowing Robinson to wear a jail jumpsuit or be shackled would prejudice potential jurors, violating his right to a presumption of innocence.
The legal team cited a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Deck v. Missouri, which limits visible restraints unless justified by specific security needs.
The motion also calls for a complete ban on cameras, photography, and video in the courtroom, pointing to a “content tornado” of media coverage of the case.
“The public assassination of a popular political commentator that underlies this case has garnered worldwide attention, created a lightning rod for controversy, and provided a platform for pundits and other attention seekers with varying levels of mental stability,” the filing states, according to a report from KUTV.
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith opposed the requests for civilian attire and no restraints, suggesting Robinson appear remotely via video for non-critical hearings to address security concerns while avoiding prejudicial visuals.
The defense countered that remote appearances would infringe on Robinson’s constitutional right to be present at all stages of his capital case.
“This Court should reject the Sheriff’s suggestion that concerns about prejudicial pretrial publicity can be adequately addressed by requiring Mr. Robinson to forfeit his constitutional and statutory right to be present at all stages of this capital prosecution,” the motion reads.
The sheriff’s office supports the camera ban, aligning with both the defense and prosecutors on limiting media access.
The filing points out that cameras are already banned in federal trials, and that it is not considered a First Amendment violation.
“Federal courts have universally found that restrictions on videotaping and cameras do not implicate the First Amendment guarantee of public access.”
A closed-door hearing was held on Friday to discuss the motions, with Judge Tony Graf set to rule on the civilian clothes and restraints request on Monday.
Robinson allegedly fired a single round from 142 yards away, using a Mauser M98 rifle with engraved cartridges referencing anti-fascist themes and online memes.
Evidence is said to include DNA at the scene, Discord confessions, and text messages indicating planning.
Many have complained that the push to limit transparency during the trial, in a case with conspiracy theories already viral across social media, will lead to less trust that justice is being properly served.
Robinson’s next public court appearance is scheduled for October 30.
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