Judge Holds Decision on Lil Durk's Release in Federal Custody
A federal judge in Los Angeles postponed a ruling on whether the rapper will be freed to await a second trial on weapons and racketeering charges.
By Lina Lewis ·
U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald declined to issue an immediate ruling on Wednesday regarding the pretrial release of rapper Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks.
The decision leaves Banks in federal custody as he awaits a second trial scheduled for next summer.
Defense attorneys submitted a motion arguing that Banks should be released based on a specific bail package designed to ensure his appearance at future hearings.
The proposed security includes a guarantee of up to $1 million from Sony Entertainment.
Banks also pledged his future royalties, publishing revenue, and touring income to the court.
The filing states that if Banks flees, the house he purchased for his mother would be sold to satisfy the court's requirements.
Support for the release came from several high-profile figures.
Letters in favor of pretrial release were signed by Jay-Z, J. Cole, businessman Michael Rubin, and former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Andrea Robinson, the mother of the murder victim, also wrote to the judge.
Robinson stated she had no objection if the court determined that bond was appropriate.
Banks' lawyers argued that the stakes for the defendant are personal and financial.
The filing noted that if the Chicago rapper violates the agreement and flees, he and his family would remain penniless going forward. Prosecutors disagreed with the defense's assessment of the risks and security measures. The government argued that Banks remains a danger to witnesses. They also contended that the bond package was insufficient to guarantee his attendance at court proceedings. The judge did not specify a timeline for when he would issue a final decision on the motion. Banks was initially arrested on October 17, 2024, near Miami International Airport. The FBI reported that he was attempting to flee the country at the time of his arrest. The legal proceedings stem from events in August 2022. Prosecutors accused Banks of orchestrating the killing of a rival Atlanta rapper named Tyquian Bowman, also known as Quando Rondo. The plan involved a hit team traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles. The operation resulted in the death of 24-year-old Saviay’a Robinson, Bowman’s cousin, who was seated in a black Escalade with the intended victim. The shooting occurred near the Beverly Center in broad daylight. Banks was acquitted of all charges in the first trial that concluded in September in Los Angeles federal court. His co-defendants, Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey, were convicted of stalking and conspiracy to commit stalking but acquitted of other counts. The upcoming second trial will focus on racketeering and firearms charges. Banks won a Grammy Award in 2024 for the song “All My Life.” He has released eight solo studio albums since 2015.
