By Andrew Hay
Oct 23 (Reuters) - A Utah judge on Friday said he needed more time to decide when to start the trial of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk more than a year ago, media reported.
At a hearing in Provo, Utah, District Court Judge Tony Graf heard arguments from defense lawyers, prosecutors and a lawyer for Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, before saying he needed to consider their positions. He set a new hearing for November 9, television station KUTV reported.
Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts, including aggravated murder, for allegedly shooting Kirk as he held one of his trademark debates at Utah Valley University in Orem. Robinson's lawyers expect a six-to-seven-month trial.
Robinson's attorneys had asked for a late 2029 trial to give them time to challenge Utah's request for the death penalty, gather additional evidence and seek a change of venue, among other issues, according to a scheduling memo.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, sought a date of January 31, 2028 to start what they expect to be a 17-week trial, according to their scheduling memo.
In a separate filing, Erika Kirk said the defense request was "grossly out of line with comparable cases" and requested the trial start no later than October 4, 2027.
Shortly before Friday's hearing, President Donald Trump, with whom Kirk had been allied, slammed Graf's handling of the case in a social media post, saying it should be tried within a month and Graf was asking "questions that people already know the answer to."
Kirk was a polarizing figure in US politics. He was admired by conservatives for mobilizing young voters around his Christian and right-wing views. Opponents criticized his rhetoric on immigration, race, gender and other social issues.
Prosecutors allege Robinson targeted Kirk for his opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights.
Defense attorney Richard Novak has said Kirk spoke "hatefully" about people who did not have traditional gender identities or were not heterosexual, but there was no evidence Robinson opposed those views.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; editing by Donna Bryson, Nia Williams and Stephen Coates)
