A Utah judge on Friday, October 23, said he needed more time to decide when to start the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk more than a year ago, Reuters reported. At a hearing in Provo, Utah, District Court Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from defence lawyers, prosecutors and a lawyer for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, before saying he needed to consider their positions; he set a new hearing for November 9, television station KUTV reported, according to Reuters.
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, for allegedly shooting Kirk as he held one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University in Orem, Reuters reported. Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk for his opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights; that motive is an allegation in the case, and Robinson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Robinson's attorneys asked for a late-2029 trial — jury selection in the third quarter of 2029 — to give them time to challenge Utah's request for the death penalty, gather additional evidence and seek a change of venue, among other issues, according to a scheduling memo reported by Reuters. Particle News summarised the defence position as needing time to review tens of thousands of files, conduct mitigation investigations and prepare for venue and jury-selection disputes. The defence expects a six-to-seven-month trial, Reuters reported.
Source: Particle News — Judge Delays Ruling on Trial Schedule in Charlie Kirk Murder Case (Oct 24, 2026)
Prosecutors said they could be ready as early as October 4, 2027, but proposed a January 31, 2028, start to avoid holiday scheduling, and estimated the trial would last about 17 weeks, Particle News reported. In a separate filing, Erika Kirk asked for the earliest practicable 2027 date in a victim's motion for a speedy trial, saying the defence request was “grossly out of line with comparable cases” and requesting the trial start no later than October 4, 2027, Reuters reported; her filing cited the emotional toll on the family and the cost of prolonged proceedings, according to Particle News.
Shortly before Friday's hearing, President Donald Trump, with whom Kirk had been allied, criticised Judge Graf's handling of the case in a social media post, saying it should be tried within a month and that Graf was asking “questions that people already know the answer to,” Reuters reported. Kirk was a polarising figure in US politics, admired by conservatives for mobilising young voters and criticised by opponents for his rhetoric on immigration, race, gender and other social issues, Reuters noted. Judge Graf will take up the schedule again on November 9.