The Source |Lil Durk Trial Delayed Again as Federal Case Moves Toward 2026 Date

Lil Durk remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles as he awaits trial in a federal murder for hire case. Prosecutors allege the Chicago artist, born Durk Banks, played a role in organizing a retaliatory shooting.

The case was originally expected to reach a jury in January but was first postponed to April at the request of Durk’s defense team, who sought additional time to examine evidence. Addressing the delay, his attorney Drew Findling said, “We would have been ready to try the case (in two weeks), but the court appropriately decided that with everybody together, we still aren’t there yet.” He added, “It’s a complex case. These are the stepping stones towards a trial.”

At a recent hearing, the court reset the trial for August 25, 2026. According to Rolling Stone reporter Nancy Dillon, the scheduling shift relates in part to motions filed by co defendants. She wrote, “Lil Durk’s trial moved to 8/25/26 at a hearing today, but there’s a catch. If the judge grants pending motion from 3 co-defendants seeking to sever their cases from Durk’s trial, Durk wants to go sooner. The 8/25 date was set to accommodate defense for codefendant, not Durk.”

Federal authorities contend the alleged plot targeted rapper Quando Rondo following the 2020 killing of King Von. Shots fired at a Los Angeles area gas station in 2022 left Rondo unharmed but resulted in the death of his cousin, Lul Pab.

Durk has pleaded not guilty. The judge has also ruled that certain lyrics and music videos may be introduced as evidence, a decision fueling broader debate about artistic expression in criminal trials.