Rapper Lil Durk secured a significant procedural victory Tuesday after a federal judge ordered newly added racketeering allegations to be tried separately from his upcoming murder-for-hire case, preserving the scheduled Aug. 20 trial on the original charges.
U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled that the racketeering counts, which prosecutors added in June, will be severed from the Los Angeles case and litigated in a later proceeding. The decision narrows the issues for the August trial, where prosecutors allege Durk orchestrated a murder-for-hire plot targeting rival rapper Quando Rondo that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.
Before the ruling, Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon documented the hearing in a series of posts on X, describing the court’s reaction to the government’s arguments.
“Heading into Lil Durk’s hearing now,” Dillon wrote. “He’s seeking to sever allegations tied to a Chicago murder and Atlanta shooting from his L.A. murder-for-hire trial, arguing prosecutors delayed the ‘sweeping new charges’ and left him unable to prepare his defense for the August trial.”
Following the hearing, Dillon reported that Judge Fitzgerald appeared skeptical of the prosecution’s position.
“Wow, judge was on fire, very frustrated with prosecution, seemed to be leaning heavily toward severing Chicago allegations from Aug. 20 trial. He promised ruling by End Of Day,” she posted.
Rapper Lil Durk Secures Win In Case With Judge Excluding Racketeering Charges From Upcoming Trial, Attorneys Drew Findling & Brian Steel React
Attorneys Drew Findling and Brian Steel remained outside the courthouse awaiting the decision. She also identified attorneys Christy O’Connor and Marissa Goldberg as members of the defense team.
Judge Fitzgerald ruled in Durk’s favor on the severance request. The judge wrote, “The Government chose to withdraw evidence of the ‘Chicago incident’ in the Los Angeles trial.”
Durk’s attorneys had argued that prosecutors unfairly altered their theory of the case. The prosecution’s introduction of broad racketeering allegations weeks before trial left insufficient time to prepare a defense. They sought either dismissal of the new counts or a separate trial.
The court granted the alternative request. A trial date for the racketeering charges has not been set. Durk and his co-defendants remain scheduled to stand trial on the remaining federal charges beginning Aug. 20.
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