Key facts
- Judge Tony Graf set jury selection for June 21, 2028, after defense lawyers sought a late 2029 date.
- Robinson's lawyers expect a six-to-seven-month trial; prosecutors expected 17 weeks from a January 31, 2028 start.
- Erika Kirk, Kirk's widow, asked in a separate filing for the trial to begin in 2027.
- Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk over his opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights.
- Defense attorney Richard Novak has said in court that Kirk spoke hatefully about people who were not heterosexual or held traditional gender identities.
- The defense says there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views.
A Utah judge on November 9 set jury selection for June 21, 2028, in the murder trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing activist Charlie Kirk, Reuters reported.
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, in the shooting of Kirk as the conservative held one of his debates at Utah Valley University in Orem. Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf set the date after Robinson's attorneys requested a late 2029 start to challenge Utah's request for the death penalty, gather additional evidence and seek a change of venue. Robinson's lawyers expect a six-to-seven-month trial.
Prosecutors had sought a January 31, 2028 start to what they expected to be a 17-week trial. In a separate filing, Erika Kirk, Kirk's widow, asked for a 2027 start to speed what she described as a painful legal process.
Trump criticized Graf's handling of the case in October, saying the trial should start within a month and that the judge was asking "questions that people already know the answer to."
Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk for his opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights. Defense attorney Richard Novak has said in court that Kirk spoke "hatefully" about people who did not have traditional gender identities or were not heterosexual, while the defense says there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views.