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Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus a month ago today, has asked a judge for permission to wear civilian clothes in court and to appear without shackles and cuffs.
In a 21-page motion, the 22-year-old Robinson’s attorneys invoked Idaho student murderer Bryan Kohberger’s case in their argument that the motion would preserve his constitutional rights to a fair trial. They also asked for a closed-door hearing on the issue of physical restraints.
“In the face of worldwide scrutiny, permitting Mr. Robinson to wear civilian clothing for court appearances is a minor inconvenience compared to the already present concerns with securing a fair trial before an impartial jury,” his lawyers wrote to Judge Tony Graf.
WHAT WILL BE TYLER ROBINSON’S DEFENSE STRATEGY? EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN
Video of the assassination circulated widely online minutes after Kirk was shot through the neck while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10. The 31-year-old was a married father of two.
“With each development in the case generating thousands of articles and comments online, the likelihood of potential jurors seeing and drawing conclusions regarding Mr. Robinson’s guilt and or deserved punishment from obvious signs of pretrial incarceration will only increase,” his lawyers continued.
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT AWAITS CHARGES AS UTAH RESIDENTS DESCRIBE ALLEGED KILLER AS ‘VERY QUIET’
Read the filing:
They argued that “the repeated and ubiquitous display” of photos showing their client in a jail jumpsuit “will inevitably lead to prospective juror perception that he is guilty and deserving of death.”
On the other hand, they wrote that Robinson has been well-behaved in custody and has no prior criminal record.
Within 33 hours, Robinson was taken into custody on charges that include aggravated murder, obstruction and witness tampering. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
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Robinson allegedly stashed the murder weapon near the crime scene, and police say they found his DNA on it. They also accuse him of taking responsibility for the crime in messages to his family, friends and his trans romantic partner, who is cooperating with detectives.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea. He’s due back in court Oct. 30.
Read the full article here
