Chicago rapper Lil Durk, born Durk Derrick Banks, has failed in his bid to get a federal judge to dismiss his high‑profile murder‑for‑hire case, keeping the prosecution and pretrial proceedings on track in Los Angeles. According to AllHipHop, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald rejected a defense motion that argued federal prosecutors mishandled alleged death threats made against a magistrate judge, which Durk’s team claimed should derail the case and affect earlier bail decisions.[4] Legal analyst Meghann Cuniff’s reporting further notes that the judge refused to dismiss the indictment or recuse the Los Angeles federal bench, meaning the case against the rapper will move forward toward a projected trial date in late April 2026.[2][3]
In the motion, Lil Durk’s attorneys argued that prosecutors allegedly failed to promptly disclose a series of threatening voicemails targeting U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue, who had previously ruled on Durk’s bail, as well as threats against Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello.[2][5] According to AllHipHop and Hot 97, the defense claimed that earlier knowledge of those threats could have influenced bail litigation and supported broader efforts to challenge the prosecution team and the Central District of California judiciary.[4][5] Prosecutors countered that Durk’s legal team was informed of the threats months earlier, in October, and insisted that the defense’s narrative was “factually inaccurate,” maintaining that the timing and handling of the voicemails did not violate the rapper’s rights.[5][6]
Judge Fitzgerald was reportedly blunt in rejecting the defense’s arguments. As reported by multiple outlets, including The Source and Hot 97, he stated in court, “There is just absolutely no basis for this motion. Just none. Absolutely none,” making clear that the alleged threats did not justify dismissing the case, removing prosecutors, or recusing all local federal judges.[1][5] According to Legal Affairs & Trials, Fitzgerald is still considering a narrower defense challenge to one count related to whether certain predicate offenses, such as murder‑for‑hire or stalking, qualify as “crimes of violence” under federal law, but that issue does not affect the core indictment moving forward.[2]
The federal case stems from an alleged murder‑for‑hire plot tied to a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that targeted rapper Quando Rondo, in which his cousin Lul Pab was killed, leaving Lil Durk facing charges that could reportedly carry a potential life sentence if he is convicted.[1][6] With the dismissal motion denied and the court signaling that a jury trial could begin in late April 2026, the stakes remain extremely high for one of Chicago drill’s biggest stars. The ruling keeps Lil Durk’s legal battle—and the broader conversation about artist accountability, online threats, and federal surveillance of rap culture—firmly in the spotlight as the hip‑hop community watches what happens next.[2][3][4]
