A Utah judge has set the summer of 2028 for the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with jury selection to begin on June 21, 2028.
Fourth District Judge Tony Graf announced the schedule at a hearing in Provo on Monday, November 9, reserving 105 court days for the proceedings, which could extend into the fall. Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including aggravated murder, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The date is a compromise between the two sides. The defence wanted the trial in 2029, saying it needed more time to examine the large volume of evidence, while prosecutors proposed January 31, 2028. Erika Kirk, the slain activist's widow, wanted the trial as early as possible in 2027, no later than October 4, and the Kirk family called the 2028 date "deeply disappointing".
Graf said the schedule was intended to protect the rights of both Robinson and Erika Kirk, and the court will hold monthly pretrial status conferences leading up to the trial, with a hearing in April 2028 to assess whether attorneys can complete the necessary work before jury selection. The court plans to send questionnaires to 3,600 prospective jurors, and a hearing on whether the trial should remain in Utah County is scheduled for December 2027.
Kirk, 31, was shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Robinson faces seven charges in connection with the killing: aggravated murder; felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury; two counts of obstruction of justice; two counts of witness tampering; and commission of a violent offence in the presence of a child.