A Utah district judge has scheduled a trial date of June 2028 for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last year, court officials confirmed.
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven criminal counts, including aggravated murder, in the fatal shooting of Kirk whilst the conservative commentator hosted one of his trademark campus debates at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf scheduled jury selection to begin on 21 June 2028.
Robinson's defence team had petitioned for a late 2029 date to afford them adequate time to challenge Utah's pursuit of the death penalty, compile further evidence, and seek a change of venue.
Robinson's attorneys project the trial will span six to seven months.
Disputed scheduling
State prosecutors had requested proceedings commence on January 31, 2028, for what they anticipate will be a 17-week trial concerning the killing of Kirk, a close political ally of President Donald Trump.
In a separate filing, Erika Kirk, the activist's widow, formally requested the trial begin in 2027 to shorten what she termed an agonising legal process.
Trump publicly criticised Judge Graf's management of the proceedings last month, contending the trial ought to start within four weeks and alleging the judge was asking "questions that people already know the answer to."
Kirk was a polarising figure across American politics, championed by conservatives for mobilising younger voters around Christian nationalist and right-wing causes.
Conversely, civil rights organisations condemned his rhetoric as racist, anti-immigrant, and misogynistic, citing public statements denigrating Black Americans, Muslims, and immigrants.
