Erika Kirk moves for speedy trial as defense requests trial date 4 years after Charlie Kirk killed

SALT LAKE CITY — Erika Kirk, the wife of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, filed a victim's motion on Thursday, calling for a speedy trial in response to Tyler Robinson's defense team projecting a start date of late 2029.

Defense attorneys representing Robinson want three more years to prepare for the capital trial of their client, who faces seven charges for allegedly shooting Kirk at a Turning Point USA tour stop at Utah Valley University.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Friday. District Judge Tony Graf has asked the prosecution and defense to provide timelines for the case. If he is convicted, Robinson could receive the death penalty under Utah law.

In its memorandum filed Wednesday night, the Utah County Attorney's Office recommended beginning a 17-week trial beginning Jan. 31, 2028. The defense predicted a seven-month trial, beginning four years after Kirk's death.

Such a postponement would be "grossly out of line" with other similar cases, Kirk's counsel argued Thursday. It is particularly inappropriate since the reason given by the defense is the overwhelming amount of evidence.

"Utah law requires that the victims' interests receive actual weight in setting trial, and for the reasons laid out here, those interests include a judicial process that is fair, transparent, and without needless delay," the motion says.

The Kirk's two children, who were 3 years old and 1 at the time of their father's death on Sept. 10, 2025, would be 7 and 5 when a verdict is reached under the proposed schedule put forward by Robinson's defense.

A victim's right to a "speedy disposition of the charges free from unwarranted delay caused by or at the behest of the defendant" is outlined in state code, the counsel continued, accusing the defense of using delays as a "strategy."

Kirk's counsel referred to past Utah murder cases in which defendants were tried all within one to two years. A four-year timeline would cost taxpayers millions of dollars and provide fodder for conspiracy theorists, the counsel said.

The Kirk family requests a trial date as early as possible in 2027, asks the judge to reject a tentative starting date in 2029 and demands monthly progress reports on case status, according to the filing document.

In September, Graf ruled that the prosecution had demonstrated sufficient evidence during a preliminary hearing to move forward with a full trial. Both sides will meet on Friday to discuss case scheduling.

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