Judge to rule on trial timing in Charlie Kirk assassination case

A Utah judge is expected to decide Monday when the trial of Tyler Robinson, who is accused of killing Charlie Kirk, should begin. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have proposed dates nearly two years apart.

Robinson, 22, is charged with shooting Kirk, 31, at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10, 2025. Prosecutors allege he fired a .30-06 hunting rifle from a rooftop across the campus courtyard.

Prosecutors have requested a Jan. 31, 2028, trial date, though they have said they could be ready as early as October 2027. Robinson’s defense team has suggested late 2029 as a tentative target, arguing that the volume of evidence to review makes the state’s schedule impractical.

“Discovery review is foundational,” defense attorney Staci Visser said at an October hearing, adding that it affects the rest of the case.

The court is also weighing scheduling conflicts with other trials. A federal racketeering case set for Jan. 10, 2028, conflicts with the prosecution’s preferred date.

At an Oct. 23 hearing, defense attorney Richard Novak argued that moving too quickly could lead to mistakes rather than a sense of closure. Both sides have also noted that a trial interrupted by the holiday period could create difficulties for jurors and witnesses.

President Donald Trump has criticized the pace of the case, calling the judge’s handling of it poor in a Truth Social post. He argued that the trial should happen within a month rather than years from now.

Robinson’s attorneys cited Trump’s comments while renewing their request to bar cameras from the courtroom. Judge Tony Graf Jr. rejected the request, as he has on previous occasions.

Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno said Monday that Graf is deliberate in making decisions and may be waiting to address pending motions before setting a trial date. She expects the date he chooses could fall between the proposals from prosecutors and the defense.

Jeffrey Neiman, an attorney for Kirk’s widow, Erika, urged the court at the October hearing to set a date, saying further delay was unfair to the family.

Robinson entered a plea last month, nearly a year after he was charged. Monday’s hearing is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET.