A federal judge has ruled that specific lyrics from Lil Durk’s songs and screenshots from his music videos can be presented as evidence in his forthcoming murder-for-hire trial.
Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald made the decision on February 13, allowing some of the rapper’s creative content to be used in court. The ruling came after a February 9 hearing where prosecutors and Durk’s defense team, headed by Drew Findling, argued over the admissibility of the materials.
Durk’s legal team has been trying to block the use of his song lyrics and music video content in the trial, arguing that introducing such material could bias the jury and prevent objective deliberation on the case.
Conversely, prosecutors insist that the evidence is relevant, claiming it demonstrates motive and ties directly to allegations against Durk. The rapper, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, is accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting fellow artist Quando Rondo.
During the February 13 session, Judge Fitzgerald allowed four excerpts from a total of 13 song lyrics proposed by prosecutors while rejecting five others. The approved excerpts were modified by the judge to exclude certain portions. These four will only be used if prosecutors can convincingly demonstrate their relevance within the trial’s context.
Regarding music videos, the judge ruled that screenshots, as opposed to complete videos, would suffice for evidentiary purposes. However, he left room for one video to potentially be included, as prosecutors contend it was meant to serve as a celebratory reward for the alleged murder of Rondo.
The victim in the case was Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab.
Additionally, two critical pieces of evidence were approved to support the prosecution’s argument that public pressure to retaliate for King Von’s death motivated Durk’s actions.
One piece includes comments from fans on Durk’s X account, and the other comes from statements made by the rapper about this very pressure in an interview with DJ Akademiks.
A further hearing is set for February 23 to resolve outstanding issues regarding evidence the prosecution aims to include in Durk’s trial, which is scheduled to commence on April 13, 2026.
