[Update • Ban cameras in the courtroom for Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, attorneys argue]
Utah County prosecutors don’t believe the 22-year-old accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk should be allowed to wear plain clothes when he appears for court hearings — and they want their reasoning to be kept secret.
That request comes after defense attorneys representing Tyler James Robinson in the high-profile case asked that he be allowed to attend all court appearances unshackled and in regular street clothes instead of jail attire.
They say that’s “necessary to maintain the presumption of innocence” and avoid any possible “prejudicial effect” for a future jury.
Prosecutors countered that in a private filing Monday, which 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf allowed them to secretly share because the document contains “secure information that might endanger personal and public safety if disclosed.”
That includes information from the court’s security director “regarding specific security measures in this case.”
Graf has also scheduled a closed hearing on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Utah County Courthouse in Provo for the defense and prosecutors to privately argue their points.
It’s the latest update in the case that has drawn widespread attention since Kirk was fatally shot Sept. 10 during a speaking appearance in an open courtyard at Utah Valley University.
Robinson was arrested and charged two days later. He is facing a potential death sentence after prosecutors charged him with aggravated murder. He also faces six other charges, including felony counts of discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness.
Robinson had his initial court appearance on Sept. 16, appearing on camera in a suicide-prevention vest from within the Utah County jail. His defense has argued in court filings that has led to “endless scrutiny and speculation” about his appearance.
(Utah State Courts) Tyler James Robinson appears virtually in 4th District Court Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025 on charges including the murder of Charlie Kirk.
For his next hearing on Sept. 29, Robinson was initially scheduled to attend in-person, but at his attorneys’ request, he ultimately participated virtually. The camera feed from the jail, though, showed only a black screen.
He is scheduled to be transported from the jail for the closed hearing on Friday, according to an order signed by Graf on Tuesday.
Robinson also has a waiver hearing set for next week, on Oct. 30.
Graf, a newly appointed judge, has vowed that he will conduct the proceedings “open to the public” and that they will be “handled with diligence and competence to ensure that justice is never compromised.”
Early imagery of Robinson has already been manipulated and shared online, including some photos taken from his mom’s Facebook account before she removed her profile.
In some images circulating on social media, his initial court photo has been altered to show him frowning, though he didn’t during the hearing. And pictures taken of him in his Utah State University dorm room have been changed to feature different flags behind him on the walls.
In a similarly high-profile case, Luigi Mangione — who is accused of killing a health care executive in New York in December 2024 — has been allowed to appear in street clothes during his court appearances.
Prosecutors in that case have argued in filings that Mangione received special treatment during a February court appearance while “most incarcerated defendants must wear jail-issued clothing,” according to coverage by The New York Times.
They also argued that privilege has been abused after they said personal notes were given to Mangione inside a pair of argyle socks.