DJ Akademiks has predicted that Lil Durk will remain behind bars following his November 4 bond hearing, despite the rapper’s recent acquittal in a separate murder-for-hire case.
Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, was acquitted on September 11 of all charges arising from an alleged plot to kill fellow rapper Quando Rondo. However, he remains detained while awaiting trial on separate racketeering, firearms and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering charges.
A federal judge has scheduled a bond review hearing for November 4 before Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, according to Complex.
November hearing signals likely trial delay
The remaining trial had tentatively been scheduled to begin on October 5, but the November bond hearing strongly suggests that date will be moved.
Reports have speculated that proceedings could be postponed until 2027, although the court has not publicly confirmed a new trial date.
The defence and prosecution may be granted additional time to prepare following the conclusion of the murder-for-hire proceedings.
Lil Durk has been in federal custody since his arrest in October 2024. His latest request for release comes after a jury cleared him in the murder-for-hire case linked to a 2022 shooting that killed Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.
Two of Durk’s co-defendants were convicted on stalking-related charges, while the rapper was found not guilty on every count he faced, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.
Akademiks dismisses bond optimism
Some legal commentators, including lawyer Bradford Cohen, have argued that the acquittal strengthens Durk’s prospects of securing bond.
Cohen has suggested that prosecutors could find it more difficult to justify keeping the rapper detained after failing to secure a conviction in the murder-for-hire trial.
Akademiks, however, rejected that optimism during a livestream, predicting that the judge would refuse to release Durk because of the seriousness of the allegations in the remaining case.
He also expressed doubt that the charges would be dismissed, noting that Durk could face life imprisonment if convicted on the most serious counts.
Akademiks did not offer a prediction on whether Durk would ultimately be convicted or acquitted. His comments reflected his personal assessment of the bond application rather than any decision or indication from the court.
Separate case remains unresolved
Federal prosecutors accuse Durk of directing Only the Family, commonly known as OTF, as a criminal enterprise allegedly connected to murder, robbery, drug trafficking and other offences.
Durk has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations remain unproven.
His lawyers are expected to rely heavily on the September acquittal when arguing that he can be released without posing a danger to the community or a risk of fleeing.
Prosecutors are likely to emphasise the gravity of the outstanding charges and their claim that the alleged conduct formed part of a broader criminal enterprise.
The November 4 hearing will determine whether Durk can await trial outside prison under conditions imposed by the court. It will not decide his guilt or innocence in the remaining case.
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