PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah judge is expected on Monday to set the trial date for the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Attorneys for defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, have proposed a trial starting in 2029. But Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf faces pressure from Kirk's family and supporters — including President Donald Trump — to speed up court proceedings that already have lasted more than a year.
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Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the killing of Kirk, 31, as the activist spoke to several thousand people at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. The defendant turned himself in a day after the shooting. His lawyers have not offered alternative theories for Kirk’s death.
Robinson could be eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors have said they anticipate a 17-week trial and would be ready by October 2027. Rather than hold the proceedings during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, they proposed the trial begin in January 2028, according to court filings.
An attorney for Kirk's wife, Erika, has said the trial should start next October. Dragging it out for years would violate her speedy trial rights under Utah law as a victim, attorney Jeffrey Neiman said.
Kirk helped galvanize young voters around Trump during the 2024 election. 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 Kirk for his political beliefs. They say a bullet found in the rifle used to kill Kirk was engraved with the words “Hey Facist! CATCH!” and that Robinson wrote in a text message about 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.
