A Utah judge ruled that the court will need until the summer of 2028 for Charlie Kirk’s accused killer to stand trial, even though the conservative activist’s widow asked to hold the trial much sooner.
Judge Tony Graf Jr. set a jury selection date of June 21, 2028, in the case against Tyler Robinson at a hearing Monday, with a trial to follow. The judge reserved 105 days for the proceedings, suggesting the trial could last several months.
Erika Kirk’s attorney filed a motion last month requesting an October 2027 trial date, in response to a defense request for a 2029 trial date.
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“Every additional day of delay carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family,” Kirk’s attorney wrote in that motion.
The scheduled trial is set to happen nearly three years after Kirk’s high-profile murder. Prosecutors say Robinson shot Kirk in September 2025 during a political event at Utah Valley University, in front of a crowd of thousands. Robinson has pleaded not guilty.
Graf said Monday he considered the Kirk family’s request to hold the trial in 2027, but did not find it to be feasible due to scheduling conflicts and the amount of evidence that the defense will need to review. He determined the summer of 2028 was the earliest possible date, giving both the defense and the prosecution more than a year to prepare.
In a statement posted to Erika Kirk’s X account after the hearing, the victim’s family called the decision “deeply disappointing” and said the delay “prolongs our family's pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability.”
