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SALT LAKE CITY: The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk can appear in court wearing street clothes but must be physically restrained due to security concerns, a judge ruled Monday.
Attorneys for Tyler Robinson argued images of him shackled and in jail clothing would spread widely in a case with extensive press coverage and public interest, which they said could prejudice future jurors.
Judge Tony Graf agreed to make some allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public and media attention.
“Mr. Robinson shall be dressed as one who is presumed innocent,” Graf said during a virtual court hearing.
Utah prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on a Utah college campus. They plan to seek the death penalty.
While Robinson has no prior criminal history, Graf said the charges he faces are extremely serious and present safety concerns in the courtroom. It’s the court’s highest priority to protect the attorneys, court staff and Robinson himself during what could be emotional hearings, Graf said before denying Robinson’s request to appear without restraints. He did, however, prohibit members of the media from photographing or filming Robinson’s restraints.
Robinson is accused of shooting Kirk — an ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism — from a rooftop overlooking a crowded courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Robinson was arrested the following night when he showed up with his parents to turn himself in at his hometown sheriff’s office in southwest Utah, more than a three-hour drive from Orem.
As law enforcement agencies were scouring the state for the shooter, Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said he received a phone call from a retired deputy saying he knew who killed Kirk. Robinson’s family had reached out to the retired deputy, who they knew through their involvement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and worked with him to help negotiate a peaceful surrender.
“Part of the negotiation of getting him to bring himself in was that, that we would treat it as delicate and as soft as possible to make him feel comfortable to where he would show up at my office,” Brooksby said just after the arrest.
Prosecutors have since revealed incriminating text messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing.
Robinson reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Graf ordered Robinson to appear on Jan. 16 and Jan. 30 for his first in-person public hearings. He appeared Monday from jail on a blacked out screen and spoke only to confirm he was present.

TOKYO: A man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to go on trial on Tuesday, three years after the assassination of Japan’s longest-serving premier stunned a nation where gun crime and political violence are rare.
The trial opens the same day as two of Abe’s former allies, incumbent Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and visiting US President Donald Trump, hold a summit.
Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, was arrested at the scene of the shooting in July 2022 after allegedly firing at Abe with a homemade gun while the former premier was giving a speech during an election campaign in the western Japanese city of Nara.
Yamagami blamed Abe for promoting the Unification Church, a religious group he held a grudge against after his mother donated to it some 100 million yen ($663,218), local media reported.
The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954. It is famous for its mass weddings and counts Japanese followers as a key source of income.
Having moved through pretrial conferences, Yamagami is set to admit to murder while disputing parts of the indictment related to violations of the Firearms and Swords Control Act and Ordnance Manufacturing Act, an official at the Nara District Court said.
The shooting was followed by revelations that more than a hundred lawmakers of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party had ties to the Unification Church, driving down public support for the ruling party, which is now led by Takaichi.
After Tuesday’s first court session, starting at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), 17 more hearings are scheduled by year-end before a verdict on January 21.