The bond hearing of rapper Lil Durk in racketeering case, ended without a decision on Wednesday November 4. The Chicago rapper now waits for a judge to decide whether he can leave jail until his trial. The judge promised to issue the decision soon.
The hearing took place in a Los Angeles federal court. Judge Michael W Fitzgerald listened to both sides and said he would decide after more thought. According to Complex, he told the courtroom the decision was complicated and he was reluctant to show favoritism because of the rapper’s celebrity status.
Durk’s lawyers, including Drew Findling, left court after the hearing, as per a video shared by LA Magazine reporter Taylor Parise. Findling said he remains “hopeful.”
What the judge said
{{/usCountry}}What the judge said
{{/usCountry}}According to Complex, Judge Fitzgerald said during the hearing that Durk had “indisputably attempted to flee” before his arrest in September 2024. He wondered aloud if it was from “guilt or panic.”
The judge admitted that “A great deal has changed” since the rapper’s acquittal. However, he believes that Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, is still a danger to the community.
The LA Mag reporter further noted that the judge also made clear that if Durk gets bond, he wants assurances that the rapper understands what is at stake if he tries to flee. This includes his money, assets, future earnings and his family’s financial livelihood. The judge said it would be difficult for the defense to give those assurances, while prosecutors argued it was simply not possible.
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Arguments from both sides
According to Complex, Durk’s lawyer Drew Findling told the judge that celebrities including Jay-Z, Michael Rubin and Cole had supported the rapper’s release. He said their support had “put their reputations on the line.”
Attorney Christy O’Connor said, “I want him to know that if he breaks the rules in any way, he is going to lose everything that he has.”
Another lawyer, Brian Steel, said Durk’s trial was still many months away. “To cause this young man to sit almost another year, to me, that’s unthinkable,” he said. Steel also said Durk faces “invasive body cavity searches” at MDC Los Angeles, according to Complex.
Durk’s lawyers offered a bond package late last month and described it as “robust.” If he fled, the proposal would allow the court to access his royalties, publishing income and earnings from his name, image and likeness. It would also include his mother’s home and “a significant sum of cash and property” offered by his friends.
Prosecutors opposed his release, arguing that Durk feels he is “above the law and will use his wealth and power to get what he wants."
In a written filing submitted just hours before the hearing, prosecutors said the September not guilty verdict “does nothing to change the dangerousness or flight risk analysis.”
What is the case about
As per reports, Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, was arrested in September 2024. He has been in jail since then. Durk was first tried on murder-for-hire charges. He was accused of ordering the killing of 24-year-old Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson in Beverly Hills in August 2022.
The trial lasted several weeks. He faced a life sentence, but on September 11 he was acquitted on all five counts.
However, Durk still faces trial on racketeering counts. The trial is set to begin on August 30, 2027.