Eugene “Big U” Henley’s impending RICO trial, which had been set to begin next month, has been pushed back to 2027 despite his objection.
District Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha decided the issue during a hearing on April 17. The hearing took place one week after attorneys for the former Nipsey Hussle manager, along with lawyers for his co-defendants Mark Martin and Sylvester Robinson, requested that the trial be moved to next year because they simply don’t have enough time to prepare for the massive case. Henley himself wanted to keep the original May 10 date.
In a written ruling issued on Monday (Apr. 20) confirming the new trial start date of February 16, 2027, Judge Aenlle-Rocha laid out his reasoning, saying that the defendants had made a “sufficient showing of diligence” in demonstrating their need for a delay. The judge also said that despite Henley’s issues with the move, the delay was “reasonable.”
Defense attorneys in the case asked for the change in date because have mountains of evidence to look at — especially for Henley, who’s facing 43 counts of a variety of alleged crimes, such as murder and fraud.
According to attorneys, they have a whopping 1.1 million items to go through, including tens of thousands of wiretapped calls and thousands of surveillance videos.
Henley’s lawyers warn that if they go to trial without having additional time to prepare for it, they risk ineffective assistance of counsel.
Henley himself isn’t the only person who wanted to have the trial happen this May; the U.S. Attorney’s Office also pushed back on the idea of it being set next year. In a brief filed days after the initial request for a changed date, the U.S. Attorney's Office called the request a last-minute reversal and claimed that the defense team had more than enough prep time to go through the evidence.
Another alleged issue that prosecutors say is happening is “ongoing witness intimidation,” and they claimed that every additional month that the case is delayed can lead to people being put in danger. One cooperating witness, whose identity was shared on social media, has already had his house vandalized, prosecutors revealed.
Henley is facing a potential life sentence if convicted. You can read Complex’s breakdown of the charges against him here.
