The Charlie Kirk Murder Trial Will Not Start Until June 2028 — a Utah Judge Splits the Difference, and the Family Calls It Deeply Disappointing
Judge Tony Graf set jury selection for June 21, 2028, and reserved 105 court days for the capital case against Tyler Robinson — between the prosecution's January 2028 ask and the defense's 2029 bid, and nearly three years after the Utah Valley University shooting.
PROVO, Utah — The trial of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk will not begin until the summer of 2028. Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf ruled on Monday that jury selection in the case of Tyler Robinson, 23, will start on June 21, 2028, and set aside 105 court days to hear it, according to Reuters' and the Associated Press's reports of the ruling, read by this desk. Robinson has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, in the shooting of Kirk as he held one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025; prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.
The date is a compromise among three positions the judge heard in October. Prosecutors said they could be ready by October 4, 2027, but proposed January 31, 2028, to avoid breaking a trial they expect to last 17 weeks across the holidays; Robinson's attorneys asked for the third quarter of 2029, saying they need the time to challenge the death-penalty request, gather evidence and seek a change of venue, and that the case involves tens of thousands of files and millions of digital artifacts, Reuters and CNN reported. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, filed separately asking for a start in 2027 to speed what she described as a painful legal process, and called the defense's 2029 request "grossly out of line," CNN reported.
The family's reaction was immediate. "Today's decision to delay the trial of the man accused of murdering our beloved Charlie until at least June 2028, is deeply disappointing," the family said in a statement carried by the New York Post. The charges, as CNN listed them, include aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, committing a violent offense in the presence of a child, witness tampering and obstruction of justice; Utah County prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk for his political beliefs, the AP reported. Robinson remains in custody, and monthly pretrial status conferences are expected on the road to a trial that will begin nearly three years after the shooting.
