Defense attorneys for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, are asking for a 2029 trial, claiming that they need that much time to prepare their case. 

Attorneys for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, on Thursday called the proposed schedule "absurd" and argued that Robinson is simply trying to delay, the Associated Press reported. 

Robinson's attorneys said in court filings this week that they have to sift through tens of thousands of files the prosecution turned over to them. They will need to conduct extensive investigations into Robison's life to seek mitigating factors that could influence his sentence if he is convicted, and they also need to devote "substantial time" to issues such as jury selection, they said. 

In court filings, prosecutors from Utah County anticipated a 17-week trial and said they could prepare by October 2027. Rather than hold the trial during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, they proposed the trial begin Jan. 31, 2028. Erik Kirk's attorney asked for the trial to start next October, the earliest date prosecutors had identified. 

Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf has scheduled a hearing on Friday to set a trial date. 

Robinson pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the 2025 assassination of Kirk at Utah Valley University.