Jury selection for Lil Durk‘s murder-for-hire trial has commenced, nearly two years after his arrest for an alleged plot targeting Quando Rondo, which resulted in the death of the rapper’s cousin. The court has permitted background checks on potential jurors.

On August 20, Lil Durk, also known as Durk Banks, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California as the trial began. Both defense and prosecution worked to narrow down a pool of 80 potential jurors to 16, including 12 main jurors and four alternates.

Attorney Moe Gangat, who attended the proceedings, noted that Durk’s defense team successfully argued for background checks on potential jurors to identify biases, despite opposition from the prosecution. These potential jurors have been asked to complete a questionnaire and will undergo further questioning regarding their responses on August 21.

Authorities Examine Texts, Interviews, And Songs As Key Evidence

Durk faces serious charges for allegedly coordinating with several co-conspirators—Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey, and Asa Houston—to travel to California and target Quando Rondo in retaliation.

This alleged action was reportedly in response to the death of Durk’s artist King Von, killed by an associate of Quando Rondo in November 2022. However, it was Quando’s cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, who died in the daylight shooting on August 19, 2022.

The charges against Lil Durk include conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, using interstate facilities for murder-for-hire resulting in death, firearms violations connected to a crime of violence resulting in death, and conspiracy to commit stalking.

In preparation for the trial beginning August 18, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald has determined which pieces of evidence will be admitted. This includes text messages, iCloud photos, music videos, and interviews with DJ Akademiks and Million Dollaz Worth of Game, among other materials.