Dave Chappelle Faces Backlash As Charlie Kirk Murder Trial Gets Date

A judge set a trial date for the man charged in Charlie Kirk‘s death as Dave Chappelle‘s jokes about the killing drew harsh words from Kirk’s wife.

Judge Tony Graf ruled on November 9 that the court would begin jury selection on June 21, 2028. Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges. The state seeks a death sentence if he is found guilty.

Kirk was shot while he spoke to a crowd at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He helped found the right-wing group Turning Point USA.

In September, Judge Graf found grounds to send the case to trial. The judge also ruled that the risk of death to others at the scene let the state seek the death penalty.

The defense team had sought a late 2029 start to give them time to build their case. The state said it could be ready next October. It sought an early date the next year to keep the case out of the year-end holidays. Kirk’s wife wanted it to start by October 4, 2027.

The court acted a day after Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, spoke out against comics and pundits who laugh at the deaths of those killed for their views. Her post on X named no one, but came as a clip from Chappelle’s Madison Square Garden show spread online.

“Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” Chappelle said in the clip. He added that “it’s just a feeling.”

Erika called the jokes “beyond disgusting.” She urged people to see the worth of a life even if they do not share that person’s views.

The comic had used Kirk’s death in his stage work before.

As AllHipHop noted, his Netflix special last year turned the death toward his own fear of being shot. He linked early reports about words on the ammo to the anger over his jokes about transgender people.

The judge set aside 105 court days for the case. In April 2028, the court will check whether both sides can finish the work they need to do before they choose a jury.