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Utah judge sets 2028 trial date for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk

Jury selection starts June 21, 2028, later than prosecutors asked and earlier than Tyler Robinson's lawyers wanted, and he has pleaded not guilty.

The Fourth Judicial District Courthouse in Provo, Utah
The Fourth Judicial District Courthouse in Provo, Utah. Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
24 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from liberal outlets
Liberal6 outletsTrial date set amid evidence and family urgencyCenter6 outletsPressure from Kirk's family and Trump on judgeConservative12 outletsJudge's schedule, Kirk family's speedy-trial fight, Trump's criticism
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

A Utah judge has set jury selection for June 21, 2028, in the trial of Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Judge Tony Graf announced the date at a hearing in Provo on Monday, Nov. 9. The trial will stay in Provo, and the court has set aside 105 court days.

Kirk, 31, was shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Robinson has to aggravated murder, which could bring the . Prosecutors had proposed starting Jan. 31, 2028, for a trial they expect to last 17 weeks.

Robinson's lawyers asked for the third quarter of 2029, citing the volume of evidence and the complexity of a death penalty case. Lawyers for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, asked for a start no later than Oct. 4, 2027, citing her right to a speedy trial. President Trump criticized Graf in a social media post in October, saying the case should be tried "within a month."

Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk for his political beliefs. In September, Graf found enough evidence for Robinson to stand trial.

Key figures
  • June 21, 2028jury selection start date set by the judgeWashington Examiner
  • 105 court daystime allotted for the trialCBS News
  • Jan. 31, 2028start date prosecutors recommendedABC News
  • third quarter of 2029start the defense requestedABC News
  • Oct. 4, 2027latest start Kirk's widow's lawyers asked forCBS News

Three sides of the story

6Liberal6Center12Conservative

24 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from liberal outlets

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal6 outlets

Trial date set amid evidence and family urgency

CBS News leads with the date itself, noting Judge Tony Graf chose a day between the three parties' requests, then lists the schedule: 105 court days, monthly status conferences and an April 11, 2028 hearing. It also reports Trump's call for a trial "within a month." The Guardian opens on Robinson, 23, going on trial for murder in early July 2028, with jury selection starting June 21.

The report says evidence that Robinson appeared to confess is expected to be put forward by prosecutors, and it cites his former roommate Lance Twiggs from a July hearing video: "He wishes he hadn't done it." Before the ruling, ABC News relied on the filings, citing the defense's third-quarter 2029 request and the state's Jan. 31, 2028 recommendation, and a motion for Erika Kirk saying her children would be "six and eight years old" by the trial's end.

Center6 outlets

Pressure from Kirk's family and Trump on judge

Newsweek leads with the June 2028 jury selection date, ruled "amid mounting public and legal pressure" from Kirk's relatives and President Trump. It quotes Erika Kirk's attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, on her children's ages, the family's September statement asking for "a transparent and timely process," and Trump's Oct. 23 Truth Social post ending "JUSTICE FOR CHARLIE!" It closes with a post on X by Erika Kirk that followed comedian Dave Chappelle's remarks about her husband's killing but did not name him, calling laughter at political assassination "beyond disgusting."

The Seattle Times runs an AP report written before the ruling. It says Graf was expected to set the date and is under pressure from Kirk's family and supporters, Trump among them, to move faster in a case running for more than a year. It notes Robinson's lawyers have not offered alternative theories.

It also details the prosecutors' allegations, including a bullet engraved "Hey Facist! CATCH!" and a text message reading "I had enough of his hatred."

Conservative12 outlets

Judge's schedule, Kirk family's speedy-trial fight, Trump's criticism

The Daily Signal carries a Reuters report that sets out the June 2028 date and the three requests, noting Robinson has pleaded not guilty to seven counts. It says defense lawyer Richard Novak told the court Kirk spoke "hatefully" about people without traditional gender identities or who were not heterosexual, while the defense says there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views. The Washington Examiner says the date falls later than prosecutors wanted but sooner than the defense sought.

It describes Graf's oral order noting the difficulties of a start in under a year, including possible overlap with Christmas 2027, and quotes him that "unnecessary delay remains a serious concern." It also describes Trump's "rage" over delays and notes the trial will fall in the next presidential election season. The Epoch Times reports Graf said mid-2028 could change after a check-in with attorneys.

It quotes Erika Kirk's lawyers calling the defense timeline "grossly out of line with comparable cases." The Post Millennial's breaking report gives the full pretrial calendar and quotes Graf on upholding the constitutional rights of "Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Kirk."

What a side did not mention
All sources: 27 articles from 24 outlets

Liberal (7)

Center (7)

Conservative (13)

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Plea deal

The accused pleads guilty, usually to a lesser charge or for a lighter sentence, and there is no trial. Most criminal cases in the US end this way.

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Where prisoners sentenced to death wait, often for years, while their appeals are heard. The death penalty exists in about half the states and under federal law, and lethal injection is the usual method.

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