Tyler Robinson's trial in the Charlie Kirk killing is set for June 2028, nearly three years on

A Utah judge on Monday, Nov. 9, set the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man charged in the September 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to begin with jury selection on June 21, 2028, according to the BBC. AP, Reuters and Newser also reported the summer 2028 date.

What the judge ordered

Utah County judge Tony Graf Jr. set the date, the BBC reports. Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges. He could face the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder, and his defense team has sought to prevent that, per the BBC. Kirk, 31, was shot while speaking at a Utah college campus.

How long the wait is, and why

• Prosecutors said they could be ready by October 2027 and were willing to move to January 2028 to avoid the holidays, according to the BBC.
• The defense said it needed more time and floated a 2029 start.
• Length. Prosecutors estimated the trial could last 17 weeks; defense lawyers said as long as seven months.

June 2028 therefore falls between the two sides' positions. From September 2025 it is about 33 months, our arithmetic, to the start of jury selection.

The Kirk family's reaction

Kirk's widow, Erika, had pushed for the earliest possible date and argued the proceedings should be live-streamed, the BBC says. Her lawyer, Jeffrey Nieman, told the judge a trial in summer 2028 "does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family" but that they had "no choice but obviously to accept the schedule." The defense has also tried to have cameras banned from the courtroom, per the BBC.

What the evidence fight looks like so far

At a five-day preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors outlined what they say is DNA tying Robinson to the murder weapon, alleged confessions to loved ones and a recorded statement from his roommate. Prosecutor Ryan McBride told the court in September: "There is a mountain of evidence that proves that he is the shooter," the BBC reports. The defense has questioned the evidence and the credentials of expert witnesses. These are allegations and arguments; Robinson is presumed innocent until a jury decides otherwise.

Open questions to watch: whether cameras are allowed in the courtroom, and whether the death penalty stays on the table. More in our US news section.

Sources: BBC News, "Tyler Robinson: Trial date of alleged Charlie Kirk shooter set for June 2028," Nov. 9, 2026; AP, Reuters and Newser headlines. Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. This article is news reporting.