Lil Durk has suffered a significant legal setback in his ongoing federal murder-for-hire case after a U.S. district judge denied his motion to dismiss the charges, rejecting arguments tied to alleged death threats made against a federal magistrate judge and a prosecutor. According to Legal Affairs & Trials reporter Meghann Cuniff, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled this week in Los Angeles that there was “absolutely no basis” to toss the case, meaning the Chicago rapper, born Durk Banks, will continue to face serious federal counts that could reportedly carry a potential life sentence if he is convicted.[4][3]
According to Legal Affairs & Trials, Lil Durk’s attorneys argued that prosecutors should have disclosed sooner a series of threatening voicemails targeting U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue, who previously denied the rapper’s bail requests, as well as threats involving Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello.[4] The defense claimed this alleged delay in disclosure created grounds to dismiss the indictment, recuse the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office, and even remove all judges in the Central District of California from the case.[4][2] However, prosecutors countered that Durk’s legal team was notified of the threats months earlier and that marshals, not prosecutors, had handled the communications with the judges, calling the defense motion “factually inaccurate,” according to HotNewHipHop’s summary of Cuniff’s reporting.[3][2]
Judge Fitzgerald reportedly rejected the motion in decisive terms, stating in open court, “There is just absolutely no basis for this motion. Just none. Absolutely none.”[4][3] He further found there was “zero prejudice whatsoever” to the defense from the timing of the disclosures and emphasized that, while the threats were serious, they did not provide legal grounds to dismiss the case or to disqualify prosecutors or the entire local federal bench.[4] The judge also declined the defense’s request for an evidentiary hearing on the issue, keeping the case on its current pretrial track.[4][2]
The federal case against Lil Durk centers on an alleged 2022 shooting in Los Angeles targeting rapper Quando Rondo, during which Rondo was injured and his cousin, Lul Pab, was killed, according to The Source and Hot 97.[1][2] Durk was arrested in October 2024 and is facing multiple counts, including murder-for-hire-related charges that have already led to several delays as prosecutors and multiple co-defendants prepare for trial.[1][3] Cuniff reports that Judge Fitzgerald has indicated trial is expected to begin in late April 2026, with dates under consideration around April 21 or April 28, depending on final judicial scheduling.[4][3]
This latest ruling keeps intense legal pressure on Lil Durk at a time when federal scrutiny of high-profile rappers remains a major storyline in hip-hop and beyond. With his motion to dismiss denied and prosecutors still pressing to introduce various forms of evidence, including prior conduct and music from a co-defendant, the case is positioned to become one of the most closely watched federal trials involving a rap artist in recent years.[4][1] As proceedings move toward an expected spring 2026 start date, the outcome could have lasting implications for Lil Durk’s career and for how artists’ alleged conduct away from the mic is examined in federal court.[1][3]
