Judge to set trial date in Charlie Kirk murder case today as both sides push different timelines

A judge in the US state of Utah is set to fix the trial date for the man accused of murdering Charlie Kirk, with a hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon.

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf had been expected to set a timeline for the high-profile murder case last month. He ultimately scheduled a hearing on the matter for Monday afternoon.

Defense attorneys for the suspect, Tyler Robinson, want the capital murder trial to start in late 2029, while the state has recommended early 2028.

In a memo filed last month, the defense asked for the trial to start in the third quarter of 2029 — four years after Kirk was fatally shot — arguing that the timeline is consistent with other capital cases in the state.

The defense anticipated that the trial could take six to seven months and would require substantial time for jury selection. The defense also said it plans to undertake a venue study and, depending on the results, may request a change of venue for the trial.

In the state's own filing, prosecutors said they anticipate the trial lasting 17 weeks and that they could be ready to start as soon as October 4, 2027. However, the state recommended that the trial begin on January 31, 2028, to avoid the worst of the winter season as well as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Kirk's family wants the trial to start as soon as next year. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, asked the court to enforce the right to a speedy disposition and set the trial for as early as possible in 2027, no later than the state's anticipated readiness date of October 4, 2027.

A motion filed on Erika Kirk's behalf stated that under the defense's proposed schedule, Mr. Kirk's two children, who were one and three at the time he was murdered, will be six and eight years old by the time the trial concludes. The criminal proceeding's uncertainty will last longer than their father was in their lives. Each hearing induces anxiety, pain, and mourning. The Kirk family deserves to have this matter resolved expeditiously.

The motion also argued that a 2029 trial start will come at a great cost to the taxpayers of Utah.

Robinson is accused of killing Kirk with a rifle shot fired from a building's rooftop approximately 415 feet away, while Kirk was speaking at an outdoor rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. Kirk was the co-founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA.

The 23-year-old suspect was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

In September, Judge Graf found probable cause for Robinson to stand trial on all charges. The judge also found that there was a reasonable known risk of death to others at the time of the shooting, allowing prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.

Robinson has pleaded not guilty. Judge Graf is expected to set the trial date and the case timeline at Monday's hearing.