Key Takeaways:
- The trial delay stems from the case’s complexity and the volume of evidence involved.
- Prosecutors are reviewing over 30,000 pages of evidence, including digital files and surveillance footage.
- Lil Durk remains in custody after multiple denied bond requests, including a $4.5 million bail package.
Lil Durk will have to wait a bit longer before appearing in court for his murder-for-hire case. On Monday (Jan. 5), a California judge moved his trial date to May 4, instead of Jan. 20.
According to court documents obtained by Complex, every co-defendant except the “All My Life” rapper himself asked the court for more time. The request was granted because of the “unusual and so complex” nature of the case, in which prosecutors are alleging that Durk directed OTF members to carry out a hit on Quando Rondo in 2022.
"The case is so unusual and so complex, due to the nature of the prosecution and the number of defendants that it is unreasonable to expect preparation for pre-trial proceedings or for the trial itself within the time limits established by the Speedy Trial Act," the filing stated.
The publication also reported that prosecutors are working through a “massive amount of evidence,” including more than 30,000 pages of records and reports, photographs, and “hundreds of gigabytes” of digital material such as surveillance video and audio recordings.
As Rap-Up previously reported, Durk was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Broward County, Florida in October 2024. FBI agent Sarah Corcoran stated that he “booked two flights from South Florida airports,” one headed to Dubai and another to Switzerland. He then arranged a private flight to Italy, but authorities arrested him before he could board.
Since that arrest, Durk has submitted several bond proposals, all of which have been rejected. Last June, he offered a $4.5 million package that included cash, 24-hour home detention, electronic monitoring, and private security. However, U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald denied it because “the proffered funds are only a fraction of defendant’s net worth.”
In an Instagram update on his 33rd birthday, the Chicago rapper shared he was “thankful to still have a voice” while behind bars. “Thankful for everyone who stood on love when things got heavy,” he said. “I’m working on myself, working on peace, and hoping the city feels that too.”