Defense in Charlie Kirk case proposes 2029 trial date, citing death penalty prep
Prosecutors have said they could be ready by October 2027 and proposed a trial start of Jan. 31, 2028.
Based on reporting by KUTV 2News (CBS). Read the original story →
Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, are suggesting a 2029 trial date and say they may need that long to prepare, KUTV reported, citing The Associated Press. A hearing to set a trial date is scheduled Friday before Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf. [1]
Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the shooting that killed Kirk last year during an appearance at Utah Valley University. He could face the death penalty if convicted. His lawyers said in a filing Wednesday that they must review tens of thousands of files from prosecutors, investigate Robinson's life for factors that could affect a sentence and spend substantial time on jury selection. They wrote that predicting a date in a complex death penalty case is an exercise "infected with false precision." [1]
Utah County prosecutors anticipate a 17-week trial and said they would be ready by October 2027. To avoid the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, they proposed starting the trial Jan. 31, 2028. [1]
Attorneys for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, called the defense schedule "absurd" and said Robinson was trying to delay. Their attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, wrote that the trial should begin next October, the earliest date prosecutors identified. [1]
Sources
This story was written by AI from the report by KUTV 2News (CBS), which has the full story. How we write stories.