Charlie Kirk’s accused killer Tyler Robinson lost his bid to have his case postponed until 2029, as a Utah judge set the capital murder trial for the summer of 2028.
Jury selection for the highly anticipated case against Robinson — accused of killing the 31-year-old conservative activist in front of a crowd of thousands — is scheduled to begin June 21, 2028, Judge Tony Graf ruled Monday.
Graf has set aside 105 trial days – or about five months – for the case which will require not only a jury to decide Robinson’s guilt, but also whether he should be sentenced to death if convicted.
Robinson’s team asked the judge to postpone the high-profile trial until the summer of 2029, on the grounds that lawyers needed more time to wade through an overwhelming amount of evidence.
But prosecutors said they could be ready for trial on Oct. 4, 2027, the date Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has advocated for. However, attorneys for the state said they preferred the trial begin in January 2028 to avoid having to take a holiday break during the trial which is expected to last 17 weeks.
Graf said he considered the Kirk family’s request for an earlier trial date against Robinson’s right to sufficient time to prepare for the lengthy and serious trial – essentially arriving at a date between those proposed by both sides.
“Here, the schedule must give attorneys time to review missing records, consult with experts, and evaluate meaningful leads before making these capital mitigation choices,” the judge said during a hearing Monday.
“Given Mr. Robinson’s current status, unnecessary delays remain a major concern,” the judge said, apparently referring to the fact that Robinson is in jail awaiting trial.
Kirk’s family was unhappy with Graf’s trial date.
“Today’s decision to postpone the trial of the man accused of murdering our beloved Charlie until at least June 2028 is deeply disappointing,” the slain activist’s family said in a statement.
“While nothing will restore the time we lost with Charlie, each additional day without justice prolongs our family’s pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability. »
Meanwhile, Erika’s lawyers had said that “each hearing causes anxiety, pain and grief” for the widow and the two young children she had with Charlie.
“The Kirk family deserves to have this matter resolved quickly,” Kirk family attorney Jeffrey Neiman said in court papers.
Kirk’s side also noted that if the case drags on for years, taxpayers would have to continue footing the bill for Robinson’s expensive death penalty attorneys, who have already billed $1.6 million, Neiman said.
“Charlie’s death should not lead the lawyers defending his killer to become millionaires,” Neiman lambasted.
Robinson, 23, is charged with first-degree murder and related charges for perching on a roof and firing a gun into a crowd of 4,000 people, including children, while the Turning Point USA founder was speaking at Utah Valley University, according to prosecutors.
Robinson then allegedly bragged about the murder in a text message to his trans partner Lance Twiggs before being arrested about a day later, prosecutors alleged.
He was motivated to eliminate Kirk for espousing beliefs supporting traditional relationships that were “repugnant” to Robinson’s LGBTQ+ lifestyle, prosecutor Ryan McBride said at a hearing last month.
Robinson’s lawyers have argued that the prosecution’s video and DNA evidence are unreliable and said any animosity Robinson had against Kirk had nothing to do with his dating life.
Robinson has pleaded not guilty.
He faces death by firing squad if found guilty at trial.
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