Judge Sets June 2028 Trial for Tyler Robinson in Charlie Kirk's Killing
Utah Judge Tony Graf picked a date between the widow's request for a 2027 start and the defense's push for 2029, and Kirk's family called the delay "deeply disappointing."
A Utah judge on Monday set June 21, 2028, as the start date for the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, pushing the case more than a year and a half into the future.
Judge Tony Graf announced the date in Provo. Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder in the September 10, 2025, shooting of Kirk, 31, who was speaking to several thousand people at Utah Valley University when he was killed. Robinson has pleaded not guilty. He turned himself in a day after the shooting.
The date landed between three competing proposals. Attorneys for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, asked in October for a speedy trial no later than October 4, 2027. Robinson's lawyers wanted the third quarter of 2029, citing the sheer volume of evidence they must review. Utah County prosecutors suggested January 2028, a start that would avoid the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Kirk's family said the ruling was "deeply disappointing." In a statement, they said "every additional day without justice prolongs our family's pain," and that the delay forces them to wait longer for accountability.
The court has set aside 105 court days for the trial, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 4B of the Fourth District courthouse in Provo. Graf ordered monthly pretrial status conferences "to protect the constitutional rights at stake." A hearing on April 11, 2028, will decide whether attorneys on both sides can finish essential work before jury selection, and jury questionnaires are due May 3, 2028.
In September, Graf ruled that prosecutors had presented enough evidence to send Robinson to trial on the aggravated murder charge. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. Court proceedings have already stretched past a year.
Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political beliefs. They say a bullet found in the rifle used in the killing was engraved with the words "Hey Facist! CATCH!" They also cite a text message in which Robinson allegedly wrote about Kirk: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
The defense told the court it has tens of thousands of files from prosecutors to go through. Robinson's lawyers also plan extensive investigation into his life to look for mitigating factors that could matter if he is convicted and faces sentencing. They said they will devote "substantial time" to jury selection. The defense has not offered an alternative explanation for Kirk's death.
The pace of the case has drawn political attention. Last month, President Trump posted on social media that Robinson should be tried "within a month." He criticized Graf, a former prosecutor appointed as a judge last year, for "taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to."
Kirk was a central figure in mobilizing young voters behind Trump in the 2024 election, and his killing was one of the most consequential acts of political violence in recent American history. The trial, now nearly two years out from the shooting, will be closely watched.
