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Lil Durk trial: Verdict in Quando Rondo case expected today as jury deliberation enters Day 3
Lil Durk's jury enters its third day of deliberations Friday, with experts expecting a verdict in his alleged 2022 murder-for-hire case.
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Friday, September 11, is expected to be a crucial day in the trial of rapper Lil Durk, real name Durk Devontay Banks, in the alleged murder-for-hire plot against rapper Quando Rondo in 2022.
Friday marks the third day that the jury is deliberating on a verdict for the 33-year-old rapper at the Los Angeles courthouse. The deliberation started after closing arguments September 9 but failed to reach a decision in the last two days.
On Thursday, Day 2 of jury deliberation, it was widely expected that the jury would be able to reach a decision on a verdict. But they were unable to do so.
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The jury sent two notes around 9am PDT following Day 2 of deliberations, the Los Angeles Magazine reported.
Also read: Lil Durk trial: Why the rapper may remain behind bars even if he is found not guilty
The first note asked for verification of the jury instructions relating to the two counts of conspiracy to commit stalking. Eventually, both sides agreed that no additional instruction is needed and the original instructions were read out to both parties by Judge Michael Fitzgerald.
The second jury note concerned the definition of the word "intent" in the charges against Lil Durk. Judge Fitzgerald also agreed that the “law has no additional definition of intent.” But, despite making significant progress, the jury was not able to reach a verdict on Thursday.
Lil Durk Verdict: Why Experts Feel Friday Is The Day
Those observing the closed-door trial live from the LA courthouse are under the impression that the final verdict in the case is expected after the end of Friday's deliberation. Initially, it was expected that a verdict would come on Thursday itself, given that discussions had already concluded. But eventually, however, no verdict was reached.
The Los Angeles Magazine reported after Thursday's jury note that there were murmurs among the members of the gallery that Friday, September 11, is the day when a verdict is expected. The outlet followed it up with an update in Friday morning, noting again that September 11 could be the day when a verdict in the case comes.
"Is today the day? We think so," Los Angeles Magazine posted on X. However, so far, no information on what is happening in the courtroom on Friday has emerged.
Lil Durk's Lawyer Positive Amid Jury Deliberation
Drew Findling, one of the defense attorneys for Lil Durk, spoke to the media and fans of the rapper outside the courtroom about the current state of the trial. Findling said that he is "proud" to be representing the 33-year-old rapper. He also told supporters of the rapper that they are “putting sunshine on this system,” and reinforced that he believes in Durk's innocence.
