The Utah County court has delayed setting a preliminary hearing in the case of Tyler James Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative leader Charlie Kirk earlier this month. Robinson’s attorney, Kathryn Nester, told Judge Tony Graf on Monday that the defense needs more time to review a massive trove of evidence.
Robinson, charged with seven counts—including aggravated murder, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice—appeared virtually from the Utah County Jail, where he remains held without bail. He did not speak during the hearing. Nester explained that “the voluminous nature of discovery” requires additional preparation before a hearing date can be set.
Discovery, the legal process of sharing evidence between prosecution and defense, is expected to be extensive. Prosecutors have turned over large amounts of digital evidence, and Nester indicated thousands of pages remain to be reviewed. “Until we can get our heads around that, it is going to be difficult for us to know when we will be ready to do the prelim,” she told the court.
Judge Graf scheduled another waiver hearing for October 30 at 10 a.m. MST. Both sides agreed to the delay, acknowledging the complexity of a case involving the high-profile killing of a national conservative figure before a crowd of nearly 3,000 at Utah Valley University.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray has already filed notice that he intends to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted. Prosecutors expect to call a large number of witnesses due to the public nature of the crime.
Judge Graf reminded both the defense and prosecution that the court will safeguard the rights of both the accused and the victims as proceedings continue.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, where his organization remains headquartered. His assassination has sparked nationwide mourning and renewed calls for greater security around conservative events.
