Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Appears Virtually in Court, Defense Requests Time to Review ‘Voluminous’ Evidence

the 22-year-old man charged with the aggravated murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, made a virtual appearance in a Utah court today for a waiver hearing. The brief proceedings focused on the defense’s request for additional time to prepare their case against the seven charges, which include aggravated murder and two counts of obstruction of justice.

Appearing remotely from the Utah County Jail, Robinson was represented by his newly appointed public defender, Kathryn Nester. The defense team informed Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf that they would not waive Robinson’s right to a preliminary hearing at this time, citing a “voluminous amount of discovery” presented by the prosecution that requires thorough review.

“Until we can kinda get our heads around exactly what we’re dealing with and how much we need to process, it’s going to be difficult for us to give you a reasonable expectation of when we will be ready to do the prelim,” Nester stated to the court.

The Utah County Attorney’s Office has previously indicated its intent to seek the death penalty in the event of a conviction on the aggravated murder charge. The judge, while setting the next hearing for October 30th at 10 a.m., made a pledge to ensure justice is served, vowing to protect the constitutional rights of the accused while treating victims with fairness and dignity. Robinson is expected to appear in person for the next hearing.

The charges stem from the September 10th shooting at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, where Kirk was assassinated during a speaking event. Authorities later arrested Robinson after he turned himself in with his parents in southwest Utah. Prosecutors have cited text messages—allegedly from Robinson stating, “I had enough of his hatred,”—and DNA evidence as key connections to the killing.