The family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is asking that the trial of his alleged murderer begin next year — sooner than the timelines suggested by the state and defense, according to new court filings.
The suspect, Tyler Robinson, is due in court on Friday for a hearing that’s expected to set a timeline for the capital murder case, including trial dates.
The defense has asked that the capital trial start in the third quarter of 2029, arguing in a memo filed Wednesday that that 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 noted they plan 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 Oct. 4, 2027. However, the state recommended that the trial begin on Jan. 31, 2028, to avoid the “worst of the winter season” as well as the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
In response to both filings, 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 Oct. 4, 2027, to avoid “needless delay.”
“Under the Defendants’ 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,” a motion filed on Erika Kirk’s behalf Thursday stated. “They will face the uncertainty of this criminal proceeding longer than they had their father 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.”
The pretrial conference on the matter is scheduled for Friday afternoon before Judge Tony Graf.
Robinson is accused of killing Kirk with a rifle shot fired from a building’s rooftop approximately 415 feet from where the co‑founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA was speaking at an outdoor rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.
The 23-year-old suspect was charged with aggravated murder, a capital felony, which alleges that others were knowingly endangered in the shooting. He was also charged with 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.
Last month, 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 to the charges.
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