Utah judge sets 2028 trial date for Charlie Kirk killing

• Utah judge Tony Graf set jury selection for June 21, 2028, in Tyler Robinson’s murder trial over Charlie Kirk’s 2025 shooting at Utah Valley University.
• Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder. His lawyers want more time to fight the death penalty, gather evidence and seek a venue change.
• The case has drawn strong reactions. Erika Kirk wants a 2027 start, while Donald Trump said the trial should begin within a month. Prosecutors say Robinson targeted Kirk over gay marriage and transgender rights.

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah judge on Nov 9 set a June 2028 trial date for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering prominent US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in 2025.

Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, in the shooting of Kirk as the conservative held one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University in Orem.

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf set jury selection for the trial for June 21, 2028, after Robinson’s attorneys requested a late 2029 date to give them time 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 date of Jan 31, 2028, to start what they expect to be a 17-week trial for the shooting death of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump.

In a separate filing, Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, requested the trial to start in 2027 to speed what she described as a painful legal process.

Trump in October slammed Graf’s handling of the case, saying the trial should start within a month and the judge 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.

Civil rights advocates criticised Kirk for rhetoric they called racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic and misogynist, citing his public remarks denigrating black Americans, LGBTQ communities, Muslims and immigrants.

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

Defence attorney Richard Novak has said in court that Kirk spoke “hatefully” about people who did not have traditional gender identities or were not heterosexual, but Robinson’s defence say there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views. REUTERS