Kirk family calls 2028 trial date for man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk ‘deeply disappointing’

A Utah judge on Nov. 9 set a summer 2028 trial date for Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, prompting Kirk’s family to call the timeline “deeply disappointing” after seeking a 2027 start.

Fourth District Judge Tony Graf announced that jury selection in the high-profile capital murder case will begin June 21, 2028. Graf reserved 105 court days for the proceedings, which could extend into the fall. Robinson has pleaded not guilty.

The schedule falls between the defense’s request for a 2029 trial and prosecutors’ proposed January 2028 start. Erika Kirk, the slain activist’s widow, had sought a trial as early as possible in 2027, no later than Oct. 4. 

In a statement on X, the Kirk family called the ruling “deeply disappointing.”

“While nothing will restore the time we have lost with Charlie, every additional day without justice prolongs our family's pain and forces us to wait even longer for accountability,” the family said. “As we continue down this difficult road, we remain deeply grateful for the love, prayers, and support that have sustained our family through these painful months.”

Graf said the schedule sought to protect the rights of both Robinson and Erika Kirk.

“This trial setting and case management order’s intent is to ensure that the constitutional rights of Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Kirk are upheld at every junction,” he said during the hearing.

He also noted concerns about unnecessary delay given Robinson’s ongoing detention.

Robinson faces seven charges in connection with Kirk’s Sept. 10, 2025, death during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University: 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 offense in the presence of a child. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted.

Defense attorneys had sought a trial start in the third quarter of 2029, arguing they needed extensive time to review the evidence, challenge the death penalty, pursue a possible change of venue, and prepare mitigating evidence, according to a scheduling memo.

Prosecutors preferred a Jan. 31, 2028, start, though they said they could be ready as early as Oct. 4, 2027. They estimated a roughly 17-week trial and said a January start would avoid interruptions for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In a separate Oct. 22 filing, Kirk’s legal team described the defense’s 2029 proposal as “grossly out of line with comparable cases,” citing Erika Kirk’s right to a speedy disposition under Utah law and the ongoing pain of prolonged uncertainty.

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Oct. 23 that Graf “is doing a terrible job” and the case “should be tried within a month, not three years.” 

“The judge is desecrating the memory of the Great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to,” he said at the time. “The whole Country is mocking him and our ‘Legal’ System.”

At the end of the Nov. 9 hearing, attorney Jeffrey Neiman, representing the family, told the court that while a summer 2028 trial “does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family,” they had “no choice” but to accept the schedule. He urged Graf to hold firm against further delays. 

“The family has waited long enough already,” Neiman said. “They shouldn’t have to wait any longer for this.”

The court has scheduled monthly pretrial status conferences leading up to the trial, with an April 11, 2028, hearing to assess whether attorneys can complete the necessary work before jury selection.