Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, has failed in his effort to delay the case until 2029. A Utah judge instead scheduled the capital murder trial for the summer of 2028.
Judge Tony Graf ruled Monday that jury selection in the closely watched case will begin June 21, 2028. Robinson is accused of killing the 31-year-old conservative activist in front of thousands of people.
Robinson’s defense team had asked the court to postpone the trial until summer 2029, arguing that attorneys needed additional time to review what they described as an overwhelming volume of evidence.
Prosecutors said they could be prepared to proceed as early as Oct. 4, 2027, a date supported by Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. However, state attorneys said they preferred a January 2028 start to avoid a holiday interruption during the trial, which is expected to last 17 weeks.
“Each hearing induces anxiety, pain and mourning” for Erika and the couple’s two young children, her attorneys wrote in court papers filed Thursday, according to Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman.
“The Kirk family deserves to have this matter resolved expeditiously,” Neiman argued.
Kirk’s attorneys also warned that a lengthy delay would leave taxpayers responsible for continuing to fund Robinson’s expensive death penalty defense. His lawyers have already billed $1.6 million, Neiman said.
“Charlie’s death should not lead to the lawyers defending his assassin becoming millionaires,” Neiman said.
Robinson, 23, faces a first-degree murder charge and related counts. Prosecutors allege that he positioned himself on a rooftop and fired into a crowd of about 4,000 people, including children, as Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, spoke at Utah Valley University.
Prosecutors further allege that Robinson later boasted about the killing in a text message to his transgender partner, Lance Twiggs. He was arrested roughly a day after the shooting.
Prosecutor Ryan McBride said at a hearing last month that Robinson targeted Kirk because of the activist’s views in support of traditional relationships, which McBride described as “repugnant” to Robinson’s LGBTQ+ lifestyle.
Robinson’s attorneys have challenged the reliability of the prosecution’s video and DNA evidence. They also contend that any hostility Robinson may have felt toward Kirk was unrelated to his personal relationship.
Robinson has pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, he could face execution by firing squad.
