Where this was said
Trial Timeline: Early 2028 Is the Optimistic Scenario
At 1:06:34 · chapter starts 1:04:30
Blake Neff gives Andrea the opportunity to revise her previous prediction of a spring 2028 trial start. She declines — and in fact softens her optimism. Early 2028, she says plainly, is the optimistic scenario.[1] The volume of investigation the defense still needs to conduct, the complexity of the forensic and scientific evidence disputes already being foreshadowed, and the general pace of death penalty litigation all point toward a longer runway. Blake acknowledges the gut punch of this news for people who have been hoping for faster resolution. The conversation then pivots to the reported laughter from Robinson and his defense attorney in the courtroom, which Andrea contextualizes as likely deliberate attorney behavior to keep a young, first-time defendant calm — not indifference, but professional client management.
In Utah, the defense cannot unilaterally waive a preliminary hearing — the prosecutor also has a right to present the state's case publicly. Even if the defense wanted to skip it, the prosecution likely would have refused. Andrea Burkhardt explains the strategic calculus on both sides.
