The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk will stand trial in the summer of 2028, a Utah judge ruled on Monday (November 9, 2026).
Kirk helped galvanise young voters around Mr. Mr. Trump weighed in on the trial in a social media post last month, saying Robinson should be tried “within a month. They plan to conduct extensive investigations into Robinson’s life in search of mitigating factors that could influence his sentence if convicted.
Trump during the 2024 election.
Robinson’s attorneys said in court documents that they must sift through tens of thousands of files turned over by prosecutors.
The Republican president criticised District Judge Graf, a former prosecutor appointed judge last year, for “taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to.
But District Judge Tony Graf faced pressure from Kirk’s family and supporters , including President Donald Trump, to speed up court proceedings that already have lasted more than a year. Attorneys for defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, proposed a trial starting in 2029. District Judge Graf allocated 105 days for the trial, beginning with jury selection on June 21, 2028.
He said the dates balance Robinson’s right to prepare his defense with the rights of Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, to a speedy resolution. Erika Kirk’s attorney disagreed with the schedule but said there is no choice but to accept it.
Prosecutors had said they could be ready for trial by October 2027. Rather than hold the proceedings during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, they proposed a January 2028 start date. Depending on the results, they may ask to hold the trial elsewhere.
In a statement after Monday’s (November 9, 2026) hearing, the Kirk family characterised District Judge Graf’s decision as a “delay” and said, “every additional day without justice prolongs our family’s pain. Defense attorneys have said they will conduct surveys to see if it’s possible to seat an impartial jury in Utah County. The judge said he will hear arguments about the venue next December.
