More drama in the massive murder for hire case against Lil Durk. A federal judge has denied a defense request to dismiss the charges against the Chicago rap star, allowing the rapper’s murder-for-hire case to continue through pretrial proceedings.
The ruling came after Durk’s attorneys argued that prosecutors failed to disclose alleged threats made against judicial officials involved in earlier bail hearings. According to the defense, those threats could have influenced how the court viewed pretrial detention. The judge did not agree.
During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald rejected the motion without hesitation. Addressing the defense’s filing, he said, “There is just absolutely no basis for this motion. Just none. Absolutely none.”
The defense pointed to reported threats made in February against U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue and in April against Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello. Lawyers also asked for an evidentiary hearing and sought to remove the prosecutors from the case, along with recusing all Central District judges in California.
Prosecutors countered that Durk’s legal team had been informed of the threats months earlier, in October, and argued that the defense’s claims misrepresented the record. Yanniello characterized the assertions as “factually inaccurate.” Fitzgerald ultimately upheld the existing bail decision and denied the broader requests.
Durk’s case centers on a 2022 shooting in Los Angeles that targeted rapper Quando Rondo. Rondo survived the attack, while his cousin, Lul Pab, was killed. Durk was arrested in October 2024 and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
The trial is currently expected to begin in late April 2026, pending final judicial assignment. As proceedings move forward, the case remains one of the most closely watched legal battles involving a major hip-hop figure in recent years.