Kirk family lawyer says summer 2028 trial does not feel speedy
Prosecutors and defense lawyers gave different estimates of how long the proceedings could run: prosecutors estimated 17 weeks, while defense lawyers said it could take seven months. Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey A Nieman told Utah County judge Tony Graf Jr. that “a trial in the summer of 2028, three years after Charlie’s assassination, does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family.” Graf set June 21, 2028, for jury selection; that date was not the start of evidentiary proceedings, and the order placed Robinson’s case in a June 2028 trial schedule.
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges connected with the September 2025 killing of Charlie Kirk, 31. Kirk was shot while speaking at a Utah college campus. A Reuters image caption described Kirk as a prominent conservative youth activist.
Prosecutors previously told the court they could be ready for trial by October 2027 but were willing to move that date back to January 2028 to avoid the holiday period. Defense attorneys said they needed more time to prepare their case and floated a 2029 start.
At the end of Monday’s proceedings, Nieman said the family had “no choice but obviously to accept the schedule the court’s put forward.” He added: “The family has waited long enough already; they should not have to wait any longer for this.”
Kirk’s widow, Erika, with whom he had two children, pushed for as early a trial date as possible and argued that proceedings should be live-streamed. Erika Kirk and Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn, attended a number of court hearings in the case.
Robinson could face the death penalty if found guilty of aggravated murder, and his defense team has sought to prevent that outcome. A Getty Images caption credited to Rick Egan-Pool said Robinson’s legal team was trying to get the death penalty taken off the table. The defense has also tried to have cameras banned from the courtroom.
During a five-day preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors outlined evidence they said showed probable cause for trial. The evidence included DNA allegedly tying Robinson to the murder weapon and other items recovered at the scene; confessions he allegedly made to loved ones; and a taped video statement from his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
Prosecutor Ryan McBride told the court in September, “There is a mountain of evidence that proves that he is the shooter.” He then said: “We know that the defendant is the shooter… first, because of the video evidence; second, because of the DNA; third, because of his admissions; and fourth, because of circumstantial evidence.”
Defense attorneys, meanwhile, cast doubt on the evidence and on expert-witness credentials in the case.