Lil Durk’s federal murder-for-hire trial has officially been pushed back to late summer after a judge denied a request from some of his co-defendants to be tried separately.
According to newly filed court records, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald ruled that the case would proceed jointly and set a new trial date of August 20, 2026. The decision came after arguments from several co-defendants who wanted their cases split from Durk’s.
Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald rejected those requests, emphasizing that defendants accused of participating in the same alleged conspiracy are typically tried together, and that the bar for separation is high. Judge Fitzgerald also noted that much of the evidence would overlap regardless of whether the cases were separated, making a joint trial the more appropriate path forward.
Durk has been behind bars since his arrest in October 2024 and has remained in custody after being denied bail. Prosecutors accuse the Chicago rapper of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot connected to the fatal 2022 shooting of Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson. Durk has denied wrongdoing.
The case had previously been scheduled to begin in April, but the timeline shifted as the court weighed motions and logistical considerations tied to multiple defendants. The trial is expected to last several weeks once it begins.
Durk’s legal battle has drawn widespread attention across the music industry, with supporters continuing to monitor developments closely as the high-profile case moves toward its next phase in August.