A Utah judge on Monday set a June 2028 start date for the aggravated murder trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in September 2025. The date means the case will reach a jury nearly three years after Kirk’s death, and Kirk’s family quickly said they were disappointed by the wait.
Fourth District Judge Tony Graf scheduled the trial to begin June 21, 2028, in Provo and set aside 105 court days for it, according to CBS News and the Associated Press. Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
How the judge chose the date
The ruling followed weeks of competing requests from the people involved in the case. According to CBS News:
- Attorneys for Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, asked for a speedy trial no later than October 4, 2027.
- Utah County prosecutors proposed January 2028, a timeline that avoided the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
- Robinson’s defense team asked for the third quarter of 2029, citing the large amount of evidence they must review.
Graf settled on a date between the requests. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the defense had sought a roughly seven-month trial beginning in 2029, while prosecutors wanted an earlier start and estimated the trial would last nearly four months.
What each side says
Prosecutors allege that Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political beliefs, and in September Graf ruled there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial on the aggravated murder charge. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Robinson faces seven criminal charges in all.
Robinson’s lawyers have said they need time to go through tens of thousands of files, carry out a broad investigation into his life for possible mitigating factors, and devote substantial time to picking a jury. They have not offered an alternative explanation for Kirk’s death, CBS News reported.
If convicted of aggravated murder, Robinson could face the death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life with the possibility of parole.
Family and political reaction
Kirk’s family called the decision “deeply disappointing,” saying each additional day without justice prolongs their pain, according to CBS News. President Donald Trump also criticized the timeline in a social media post, saying Robinson should be tried within a month and faulting the judge for moving too slowly.
Kirk, 31, had helped energize young voters for Trump in the 2024 election. He was speaking to an audience of several thousand people at Utah Valley University when he was killed on Sept. 10, 2025. Robinson turned himself in the following day.
What happens before trial
Court proceedings in the case have already lasted more than a year, and much work remains. The judge will hold monthly pretrial status conferences. A hearing on April 11, 2028, will check whether both sides can finish essential work before jury selection, and jury questionnaires are due May 3, 2028, CBS News reported.
Before then, both sides are expected to file motions that will shape what evidence and witnesses a jury can hear. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, attorneys have signaled they expect to challenge Utah’s death penalty laws and DNA testing methods, and to argue over whether the case can be tried fairly in Utah County.
Why it matters for families
High-profile trials can take years because the law gives both sides time to prepare, especially when a death sentence is possible. That can be hard for grieving families and for communities that want answers. If children have questions about the case, it can help to explain that courts move carefully so that verdicts are fair and can stand up on appeal.
Upstormed News will follow the pretrial hearings as the case moves forward.
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Do you think major trials should move faster, or is the extra preparation time worth it?
Sources: CBS News, “Charlie Kirk’s accused killer set to stand trial for aggravated murder in June 2028” (Nov. 9, 2026); The Salt Lake Tribune, “When will the Charlie Kirk murder trial begin? A Utah judge has set the date.” (Nov. 9, 2026)
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