Lil Durk's Attempt to Toss Murder-for-Hire Case Fails in Court
Lil Durk's high-profile federal murder-for-hire case continues after a key motion filed by his defense team was rejected by U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald.
According to The Source, the ruling keeps the Chicago rapper's legal battle moving forward toward pretrial proceedings.
The motion, filed by Durk's attorneys, sought to dismiss the charges, arguing that prosecutors allegedly failed to disclose threatening voicemails made against judicial officials during earlier bail hearings.
Specifically, the defense cited four messages left in February for U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue and one in April for Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello, claiming this amounted to a concealment that could have affected pretrial detention decisions.
Judge Fitzgerald dismissed the defense's claims, telling the court, "There is just absolutely no basis for this motion. Just none. Absolutely none."
He ruled that the alleged threats did not warrant removing prosecutors, recusing Central District judges in California, or dismissing the case entirely. Prosecutors had previously informed the defense about the threats in October, and Yanniello called the allegations "factually inaccurate," noting that marshals had communicated with judges rather than the U.S. Attorney's Office directly.
Defense Motion and Court Ruling Explained
The defense had requested either an evidentiary hearing or the removal of the prosecutors and judges involved, arguing that concealment of the threats undermined Durk's bail rights.
However, Judge Fitzgerald did not find any indication that the messages could have swayed a decision of a judge in any way, so he maintained the status quo regarding the bail order. The decision, in effect, confirmed that Durk's legal path will be as scheduled.
The development marks a legal setback for Durk who was detained and charged with criminal offenses in October 2024 after a shooting in Los Angeles in 2022. That incident targeted fellow rapper Quando Rondo who survived, however, his cousin Lul Pab was fatally shot. Durk is looking at the possibility of spending his whole life in jail if the jury finds him guilty.
Upcoming Trial Dates and Legal Proceedings
The Source reported that the accused's trial is presently scheduled to commence late April 2026, and the exact date of the appearance is considered April 21 or 28 depending on the final assignment of the judge, according to the Rolling Stone.
Since Durk's apprehension, there have been several postponements of the case hearings.
Originally published on Music Times
