Defense attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, have proposed a trial date as late as 2029, arguing that they need additional time to review evidence and prepare their case. Attorneys representing Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, have called the proposed timeline unreasonable and accused the defense of seeking unnecessary delays.

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf has scheduled a hearing for Friday to determine when the trial should begin.

Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in Kirk’s killing last year at Utah Valley University. Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump, was addressing a crowd of several thousand people when he was shot. Robinson turned himself in the following day, and his attorneys have not presented an alternative explanation for the killing. Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted.

Prosecutors from Utah County estimate that the trial will last approximately 17 weeks and have said they expect to be ready by October 2027. To avoid scheduling proceedings during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, they proposed beginning the trial on Jan. 31, 2028.

Erika Kirk’s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, argued that the proceedings should begin next October, the earliest date prosecutors have identified as feasible. Neiman also pointed to the impact of a prolonged legal process on Kirk’s two children, who were ages one and three when their father was killed. “Under the Defendants’ proposed schedule, Mr. Kirk’s two children, who were one and three at the time he was murdered, will be six and eight years old by the time the trial concludes,” Neiman wrote. “They will face the uncertainty of this criminal proceeding longer than they had their father in their lives.”

Robinson’s attorneys maintain that a later trial date is necessary because prosecutors have provided tens of thousands of files that must be reviewed. The defense also says it must conduct extensive investigations into Robinson’s background to identify potential mitigating circumstances that could affect sentencing if he is convicted. Additional preparation will be required for jury selection and other legal issues associated with a capital murder case, according to the defense filings.

The attorneys said they respect the court’s effort to establish a realistic schedule but argued that predicting when such a complex case will be ready for trial remains difficult. In a filing submitted Wednesday, the defense described efforts to set a precise trial date at this stage as “an exercise that, at this time, will necessarily be infected with false precision.”

Judge Graf’s upcoming hearing will address the competing timelines as the court weighs the defense’s preparation needs against the request to bring the case to trial sooner.