Judge puts off decision on Charlie Kirk murder trial date

NEW MEXICO: A Utah judge on Friday said he needed more time to decide when to start the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk more than a year ago, media reported.

At a hearing in Provo, Utah, District Court Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from defence lawyers, prosecutors and a lawyer for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, before saying he needed to consider their positions. He set a new hearing for November 9, television station KUTV reported.

Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, for allegedly shooting Kirk as he held one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University in Orem. Robinson's lawyers expect a six-to-seven-month trial.

Robinson's attorneys had asked for a trial in late 2029 to give them time to challenge Utah's request for the death penalty, gather additional evidence and seek a change of venue, among other issues, according to a scheduling memo.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, sought a date of Jan 31, 2028, to start what they expect to be a 17-week trial, according to their scheduling memo.

In a separate filing, Erika Kirk said the defence request was "grossly out of line with comparable cases" and requested that the trial start no later than Oct 4, 2027.

Shortly before Friday's hearing, President Donald Trump, with whom Kirk had been allied, criticised Graf's handling of the case in a social media post, saying it should be tried within a month and that Graf was asking "questions that people already know the answer to".

Kirk was a polarising figure in US politics. He was admired by conservatives for mobilising young voters around his Christian and right-wing views. Opponents criticised his rhetoric on immigration, race, gender and other social issues.

Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk because of his opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights.

Defence attorney Richard Novak has said Kirk spoke "hatefully" about people who did not have traditional gender identities or were not heterosexual, but there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views.