Federal Judge Weighs Bail for Lil Durk Following Murder-for-Hire Acquittal as Defense Offers Royalties

A federal judge is weighing whether Chicago rapper Lil Durk should be granted pretrial release following his full acquittal on murder-for-hire charges, according to reporting by Billboard from a Los Angeles courtroom.

Durk Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, has remained in federal custody for over two years. His legal team appeared before U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald on Wednesday to petition for his release ahead of a second federal trial scheduled for next summer. To secure his bond, the defense presented a package offering all of his future music royalties and provided letters of support from hip-hop heavyweights Jay-Z and J. Cole, Billboard reported.

In September, a federal jury found the artist not guilty of orchestrating a retaliatory hit against rival rapper Quando Rondo. Prosecutors had alleged that Banks placed a bounty on Rondo following the 2020 death of King Von, Banks' close friend and artistic collaborator. The alleged retaliatory shooting took place at a Los Angeles gas station in 2022, where Rondo survived the attack but his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, was killed.

Despite the complete acquittal on the murder-for-hire count, Banks continues to face a charge under the federal Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity statute. Federal prosecutors allege that Banks directed his Only the Family music imprint as an organized violent street gang. According to Billboard, the government intends to introduce the Los Angeles shooting, along with a 2019 shooting in Atlanta and a 2022 homicide in Chicago, to support the racketeering charge next summer.

During Wednesday's court proceedings, Judge Fitzgerald described the bail decision as a complex psychological assessment, asking aloud whether Banks would attempt to flee if released. The judge observed that while Banks previously attempted to fly to Dubai prior to his 2024 arrest, his recent acquittal gave him a strong incentive to see the judicial process through to the end, Billboard noted.

Defense attorneys Drew Findling and Christy O’Connor argued that Banks wants to face his second jury and establish his innocence once again. O’Connor emphasized that pledging all future recording earnings ensures Banks would be financially ruined if he ever violated court conditions, leaving him with no viable path to abscond.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Weiner countered the defense motion, arguing that Banks would run amok and showing contempt for court authority. The prosecution argued that Banks could easily relocate to a non-extradition jurisdiction and rebuild his fortune by recording new music abroad, Billboard reported.

Banks' defense team maintains that the remaining racketeering count is exceptionally weak and intends to litigate double-jeopardy motions to bar evidence concerning the Los Angeles shooting from being reintroduced. Judge Fitzgerald concluded the hearing by taking the bail motion under submission, stating that a written decision will follow.