Lil Durk ’s high-profile federal murder-for-hire trial is nearing its verdict, with the Chicago rapper represented by a four-lawyer defense team that includes some prominent names from the US criminal defense bar.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the trial is being heard in federal court in Los Angeles. Banks has pleaded not guilty. His defense has argued that he was not responsible for organising the shooting. Steel has played a visible role during the trial, including cross-examining prosecution witnesses. Marissa Goldberg is also representing Banks at trial. The defense has argued that Grant, rather than Banks, was responsible for arranging key elements of the alleged plot, including vehicles and accommodation. Those are defense arguments, not findings by the court. The defense argued that prosecutors had presented selected portions of the interview during closing arguments.
On September 9, the four lawyers sought to have additional footage from a 2023 interview between Durk and media personality DJ Akademiks admitted for the jury to consider.
Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, is accused of being involved in a 2022 plot targeting rapper Quando Rondo that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson. The defense team includes Brian Steel, Drew Findling, Marissa Goldberg and Christy O’Connor, according to recent court reporting . He questioned Kacey Hester, also known as OTF Jam, one of the admitted shooters who testified for the government, according to the report. She delivered the defense ‘s opening argument, portraying Durk as a performer and celebrity who had been wrongly blamed for a murder-for-hire plot that the defense says was driven by his former assistant, Kavon Grant. The judge ultimately rejected the request, according to iHeartRadio report on the filing.
