The defendant, wearing a grey suit and occasionally consulting with his lawyers, appeared in court in the city of Provo on Tuesday.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, the mother of their two children, and his parents, Robert and Kathryn, were also at the hearing.
In a statement shared afterwards, the Kirk family said the judge’s decision “marks an important step” in their “pursuit of justice”.
“Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father,” the statement added.
Closing arguments followed a five-day preliminary hearing in July, during which prosecutors outlined their evidence to show probable cause for trial.
That included DNA allegedly tying Robinson to the murder weapon and other items recovered at the scene; confessions he allegedly made to loved ones; and a taped video statement from his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
“There is a mountain of evidence that proves that he is the shooter,” prosecutor Ryan McBride told the court on Tuesday, outlining video that he said showed Robinson “dressed to kill” on campus on the day of the shooting.
“We know that the defendant is the shooter… first, because of the video evidence; second, because of the DNA; third, because of his admissions; and fourth, because of circumstantial evidence,” McBride said.
Prosecutors said the accused, a former apprentice electrician, was in a relationship with his roommate and regarded Kirk’s conservative views, particularly on transgender issues, as “repugnant” – which they argued was the motive.
