On Wednesday (November 4), Lil Durk attended the hearing to determine if he should be let out on bond before another racketeering trial next year. The presiding judge, however, didn’t issue a verdict as he opted to review filings from the prosecution and the defense.
According to reports, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald made his ruling after a two-hour hearing which began at 2:30 local time. Lil Durk’s attorneys argued that the rapper has spent over two years in jail, and pointed to his willingness to put future music royalties up as bond.
The prosecution, however, disagreed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Weiner argued that Lil Durk had “absolutely no respect for authority”, dismissing the endorsements from Jay-Z, J. Cole and other celebrities he received while adding he would be investigated for allegedly introducing contraband into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, California.
Judge Fitzgerald also took into consideration the prosecution’s allegation that Lil Durk would be a flight risk. According to Billboard, the “All My Life” rapper made an attempt to flee to Dubai before he was arrested in 2024. Lil Durk was acquited in August of murder-for-hire in the shooting of Quando Rondo at a gas station in L.A. in 2022. His cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed in the incident.
“It’s a question of psychology,” Judge Fitzgerald asked. “Would he flee?” He noted that Lil Durk has more of an incentive to let the system play out, noting that” the acquittals really do change the calculation a great deal.” He promised to review all of the filings and deliver a verdict but didn’t specify a time.
That means that Lil Durk will remain incarcerated while awaiting his Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) trial, which is set to take place in August 2027. Prosecutors are arguing that Lil Durk operated his Only The Family (OTF) label like a violent gang, citing the Quando Rondo shooting as well as another shooting in Atlanta, Georgia in 2019 and another murder in Chicago in 2022.
The prosecution also signaled that they were willing to speed up the process to have that VICAR trial take place earlier than its established date. Lil Durk’s attorneys have argued that using the statute is “incredibly weak” and anything related to the Quando Rondo shooting should be thrown out.