LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The man accused of killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last year now has a trial date. KUERs Hugo Rikard-Bell has the details.
HUGO RIKARD-BELL, BYLINE: Kirk was shot in front of thousands of people and millions more online, sparking fast-spreading conspiracy theories and political rhetoric. Tyler Robinson is the 22-year-old man accused of taking the shot. Fourth District Judge Tony Graf ruled jury selection will begin on June 21, 2028, for his trial.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TONY GRAF: This trial setting and case management order's intent is to ensure that the constitutional rights of Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Kirk are upheld at every junction.
RIKARD-BELL: Kirk's widow, Erika, wanted it tried as soon as October next year, and she was not happy with Graf's ruling, as expressed by her attorney, Jeffrey Nyman.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JEFFREY NYMAN: A trial in the summer of 2028, three years after Charlie's assassination, does not feel very speedy to the Kirk family.
RIKARD-BELL: But here's the thing - Robinson is facing seven charges, including aggravated murder, and that makes this a capital case, which means the death penalty is on the table. Neal Hamilton is a defense attorney in Salt Lake City.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Neal, good to see you.
NEAL HAMILTON: Good seeing you. How are you?
RIKARD-BELL: He served on a number of high-profile death penalty cases in Utah.
HAMILTON: Capital cases are different. As the Supreme Court has said, death is different, and it's different because of the corresponding seriousness of the offense and the punishment.
RIKARD-BELL: The defense originally asked for a 2029 trial date, which Hamilton says is actually pretty optimistic.
HAMILTON: When you're appointed counsel, the constitutional obligation of them is that they do an adequate job, you know, good enough.
RIKARD-BELL: When it comes to capital cases, attorneys are required to do a lot more, including a mitigation investigation, which pores through the defendant's whole life.
HAMILTON: You know, it's easy to portray our clients as a horrible, insane monster. Mitigation is showing who they really are.
RIKARD-BELL: Hamilton says the judge's early date could leave the door open for mistakes and retrials.
HAMILTON: They have to decide - do they want it done right, or do they want it done multiple times? You think waiting for a trial is difficult. Try a full appeal on a capital case. Those take decades.
RIKARD-BELL: For NPR News, I'm Hugo Rikard-Bell in Provo, Utah. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.