Judge sets trial date for Charlie Kirk's accused killer

Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is set to stand trial beginning June 21, 2028, a Utah judge announced on Monday.

Attorneys for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, last month asked the court for a speedy trial no later than Oct. 4, 2027, while Robinson's representatives requested that the trial take place in the third quarter of 2029, citing massive amounts of discovery. Prosecutors proposed the trial begin in January 2028, rather than hold the proceedings during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Judge Tony Graf on Monday set a date between the three parties' requests. 

Kirk's family called the decision "deeply disappointing."

"While nothing will restore the time we have lost with Charlie, every additional day without justice prolongs our family's pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability," the family said in a statement.

The court has allotted 105 court days for the trial, with monthly pretrial status conferences going forward to "protect the constitutional rights at stake."

A hearing is also scheduled for April 11, 2028, during which the court will decide whether attorneys for both sides can complete the essential work before jury selection. Jury questionnaires are due May 3, 2028.

In September, Graf decided in favor of prosecutors who say they have enough evidence against Robinson to put the 23-year-old on trial on a charge of aggravated murder, which could see him face the death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life in prison with parole.

Trial proceedings are set to begin at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 4B in the Fourth District courthouse in Provo, Utah.

Robinson has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated murder charge. He is accused of gunning down Charlie Kirk, 31, as the activist spoke to several thousand people at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Court proceedings so far have already lasted more than a year.

The defendant turned himself in a day after the shooting. His lawyers have not offered alternative theories for Charlie Kirk's death.

Charlie Kirk helped galvanize young voters around President Trump during the 2024 election. Mr. Trump weighed in on the trial in a social media post last month, saying Robinson should be tried "within a month." The Republican criticized Graf — a former prosecutor appointed as a judge last year — for "taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to." 

Utah County prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Charlie Kirk for his political beliefs. They say a bullet found in the rifle used to kill Charlie Kirk was engraved with the words "Hey Facist! CATCH!" and that Robinson wrote in a text message about Charlie Kirk: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."

Robinson's attorneys said in court filings this week that they must sift through tens of thousands of files turned over by prosecutors. They plan to conduct extensive investigations into Robinson's life in a search for mitigating factors that could influence his sentence if convicted, and to devote "substantial time" to issues such as jury selection.