PROVO, Utah — The judge presiding over the case against accused assassin Tyler Robinson is set to announce his ruling Monday, after prosecutors and defense attorneys proposed vastly different timelines for the trial of the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk.
Robinson, 22, is accused of assassinating Kirk, 31, on Sept. 10, 2025, during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Prosecutors allege he shot Kirk with a .30-06 hunting rifle from a rooftop across the campus courtyard.
The prosecution and defense remain separated by years over when the trial should begin.
Utah County prosecutors have identified Jan. 31, 2028, as their preferred trial date in court filings and during oral arguments, though they said they could be ready as early as October 2027. Robinson’s defense team has proposed late 2029 as a “soft target” for the trial.
Tyler Robinson, who is accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, appears in court during his first in-person hearing on Dec. 11, 2025. (Pool/KSL-TV)
Staci Visser, one of Robinson’s attorneys, told the court during an October hearing that the state’s proposed schedule was “not practical” because of the extensive discovery involved in the case.
“Discovery review is foundational,” she said. “It impacts everything else.”
The court is also working with both sides to avoid scheduling the trial at a time that overlaps with proceedings in their other cases.
Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was addressing his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
One of those matters conflicts directly with the prosecution’s preferred start date: a federal racketeering case for which defense attorney Richard Novak is scheduled to begin proceedings Jan. 10, 2028.
“The reality is rushing to trial does not lead to closure. It does not lead to finality. It leads to mistakes,” Novak said during an Oct. 23 hearing.
Both sides agreed that an earlier trial, interrupted by a holiday recess, could create difficulties for prospective jurors and witnesses.
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The slow pace of the case has also drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social that the judge was doing “a terrible job” moving the proceedings forward.
A map of the Utah Valley University campus identifies key locations around the courtyard where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025. (After-Action report for Utah Valley University)
“This case should be tried within a month, not three years — and it should be over with,” Trump wrote. “The judge is desecrating the memory of the Great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to. The whole Country is mocking him and our ‘Legal’ System. JUSTICE FOR CHARLIE!”
Robinson’s attorneys cited the president’s post while arguing that news cameras should be removed from the courtroom. Judge Tony Graf Jr. rejected the request, as he has done several times before.
Judge Tony Graf presides over a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson. (Pool)
“He’s very slow — he’s very deliberate on making decisions,” Donna Rotunno, a criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor, said Monday on “Fox & Friends.” “I do hope he sets a trial date. The only reason he wouldn’t is if he says there are too many motions that are still outstanding and we need to get through those first.”
Rotunno said she expects the judge to choose a date somewhere between the timelines requested by the prosecution and defense.
“Justice delayed this long stops being justice for the Kirk family,” Jeffrey Neiman, an attorney for Kirk’s widow, Erika, told the court during the Oct. 23 hearing.
Robinson entered a plea only last month, nearly a year after prosecutors charged him.
“Your honor, if you set [a trial date], it will happen,” Neiman said. “Set it, please.”
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET.