The trial of the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk will begin in June 2028, a Utah judge ruled on Monday, setting a schedule that falls between the timelines proposed by prosecutors and the defence.Tyler Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder charge. Kirk, 31, was shot dead while addressing thousands of people at Utah Valley University. Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted, AP reported.District Judge Tony Graf allotted 105 days for the proceedings, with jury selection scheduled to begin on June 21, 2028. Robinson’s lawyers had proposed starting the trial in 2029, while prosecutors said they could be ready by October 2027 and had suggested January 2028 to avoid the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.Graf said the schedule sought to balance Robinson’s right to prepare his defence with Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk’s right to a speedy resolution.Kirk family expresses disappointment over trial dateErika Kirk’s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, disagreed with the timeline, saying the family had wanted the trial to begin as early as next October.“A trial in the summer of 2028, three years after Charlie’s assassination, does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family,” Neiman told the judge.The Kirk family described the decision as a “delay” in a statement issued after the hearing, saying, “every additional day without justice prolongs our family’s pain.”The case has drawn attention from Kirk’s supporters, including US President Donald Trump, who called for a swift trial in a social media post last month. Trump said Robinson should be tried “within a month” and criticised Graf for “taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to.”Kirk had helped mobilise young voters in support of Trump during the 2024 presidential election.What are the charges against Robinson?Prosecutors allege that Robinson targeted Kirk because of his political beliefs. They have said a bullet recovered from the rifle allegedly used in the killing was engraved with the words “Hey Facist! CATCH!”They have also cited a text message allegedly written by Robinson about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson turned himself in a day after the shooting. His lawyers have not presented an alternative account of Kirk’s killing.Defence seeks more time to prepare caseRobinson’s attorneys have argued that they need to examine tens of thousands of files provided by prosecutors. They also plan to investigate his background extensively to identify mitigating factors that could affect his sentence if he is convicted.The defence has further said it will conduct surveys to assess whether an impartial jury can be selected in Utah County. Depending on the findings, it may seek to move the trial to another location.Graf said he would hear arguments over the trial venue next December.
