Erika Kirk Demands Speedy Trial, Accuses Defense of Stall Tactics
Erika Kirk, the widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, is demanding that Utah courts move swiftly in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating her husband during a campus event last fall.
In a court filing released over the weekend, Kirk’s attorney, Jeffrey Neiman, formally invoked her rights as a crime victim under Utah law, calling for a prompt resolution to the case and signaling mounting frustration with what her legal team describes as unnecessary delays by the defense.
“The Utah Code affords victims of a crime ‘the right to a speedy disposition of the charges free from unwarranted delay caused by or at the behest of the defendant,’” Neiman wrote. “This Court is tasked with the critically important function of ensuring the Defendant has a fair trial, but this Court must also do so while balancing Mrs. Kirk’s right to a speedy trial, and therefore this Notice invokes Mrs. Kirk’s rights under applicable Utah Code.”
Neiman framed the request as a reflection of Charlie Kirk’s lifelong commitment to constitutional principles, arguing that justice delayed is justice denied.
“Nobody believed in the importance of the United States Constitution more than Charlie Kirk,” Neiman wrote. “And although the United States Constitution guarantees criminal defendants many rights, it does not guarantee them the right to cause undue delay in the criminal justice process.”
Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in September. Prosecutors allege that as Kirk spoke with attendees in a campus courtyard, a sniper fired a single round that struck him in the neck. The shooting triggered panic as thousands fled the area, and Kirk was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Despite prosecutors stating last week that roughly 90 percent of discovery has been completed, Robinson has not yet entered a plea or undergone a preliminary hearing—the stage at which a judge determines whether there is probable cause to proceed to trial.
Legal analysts note that Utah law grants victims a unique right to request a speedy disposition of charges, even though the U.S. Constitution typically reserves that protection for defendants.
“Utah is one of the few states that allows victims to invoke their own version of a speedy trial,” said Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based defense attorney and Fox News contributor. “I don’t really think this applies, but it is a very good strategic move to put the judge on notice that everyone is watching.”
The filing comes as public scrutiny intensifies over delays in the high-profile case. Robinson, who is being held without bond, appeared in court last week while his attorneys argued for the disqualification of the Utah County Attorney’s Office, citing an alleged conflict of interest.
The defense claimed prosecutors should be barred from handling the case because the adult daughter of a deputy county attorney was present in the audience during Kirk’s speech. Prosecutors dismissed the argument as “frivolous,” noting that the deputy played no role in the investigation or prosecution.
Under the Sixth Amendment, criminal defendants are guaranteed the right to a “speedy and public trial,” though that right can be waived in complex cases. Utah’s Victims’ Rights Amendment provides a separate pathway for victims or their representatives to urge courts to prevent excessive delays.
Robinson’s defense team has argued the case’s complexity—including ballistics analysis, expert testimony, and questions of premeditation—requires additional preparation time. The Kirk family, however, maintains that each delay prolongs the trauma of reliving the assassination.
“This is a widow asking for justice to move forward,” Rotunno said. “It’s as much symbolic as it is procedural.”
Robinson is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 3 for the continuation of a hearing on the defense’s motion to disqualify prosecutors. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.