Tyler Robinson speaks with his defense attorney Kathryn Nester during a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, in 4th District Court on Friday, April 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Trent Nelson-Pool/Getty Image
Tyler Robinson, the man accused in the murder of activist Charlie Kirk, is due in a Utah court Monday where a judge could possibly set a date for the start of his trial.
During a hearing last month, District Court Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from Robinson’s defense, prosecutors and Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, but said he needed more time to consider their positions.
Robinson's lawyers expect the trial to last six to seven months and initially proposed a tentative trial start date in the third quarter of 2029, saying that setting a firm date could create "false precision" and jeopardize their client's constitutional rights.
The other side:
In a new court filing obtained by Fox News, Kirk’s widow called the defense’s timeline "grossly out of line" and asked the court to schedule the trial at the earliest practicable date in 2027, citing the emotional toll on the Kirk family and a report that the defense had already cost taxpayers approximately $1.6 million in just its first year.
Prosecutors sought a date of Jan. 31, 2028, to start what their scheduling memo suggests will be a 17-week trial.
RELATED: Charlie Kirk death: Where the case stands 1 year after his death
Dig deeper:
Robinson is facing seven charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with Kirk's death in September 2025. Prosecutors say Robinson was responsible for the killing, while defense attorneys have continued to challenge aspects of the state's case.
Graf will have the option to send the case to trial on a lesser charge of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the aggravated murder charge makes Robinson eligible for the death penalty, which was added because of the risk of death to others created from the shooting, prosecutors say.
Big picture view:
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts that he shot Kirk at a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Graf said his decision to approve the aggravated murder charge was based on the positions of several people in and around a tent where Kirk was speaking, among other factors.
The backstory:
On Sept. 10, 2025, Kirk was speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 people during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University when investigators claimed Robinson fired a single shot from a building about 140 yards away, striking Kirk in the neck and killing him.
Robinson was arrested as a suspect in Kirk’s murder on Sept. 12, 2025.
A family member of Robinson's reached out to a family friend, who contacted law enforcement and reported Robinson had "confessed to them or implied" that he was the shooter.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by Reuters and previous reporting by Fox Local. This story was reported from Orlando.