A verdict in Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial should be coming down the pike soon, with jurors in the case having recently sent a note to the judge asking for evidence in digital form amid deliberations.
As the world waits to see whether the Deep Thoughts artist will be handed down an acquittal, or a conviction, we’re taking a closer look at how much time behind bars he may be looking at if he ultimately faces the latter fate.
Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial allegations
At the center of all of this is the fatal 2022 shooting of Saviay'a Robinson, cousin to Quando Rondo.
Though Durk has maintained his innocence, prosecutors allege that he orchestrated the shooting in response to the 2020 killing of OTF artist King Von.
The trial began in August with what Complex’s Jaelani Turner-Williams described as a “surveillance-heavy opening day,” with MGK among those who showed up at court to support Durk. Deeper into the trial, the artist formerly known as Kanye West also made a surprise appearance.
How much time could Lil Durk be facing if convicted?
In light of Durk’s initial arrest in 2024, and the simultaneous arrests of others who were also hit with federal charges, we tried to answer this very same question.
Since then, Durk’s situation has grown more complicated, but we’ll dig into that later. What still stands is that, if convicted as charged, Durk could be looking at the possibility of life in prison. The death penalty, notably, is not on the table.
“If convicted, Banks and the five defendants charged in the separate indictment each would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California noted in a press release announcing Durk’s arrest in October 2024.
Will Lil Durk be freed if acquitted?
Regardless of how things go for Durk, it’s quite likely he will remain behind bars. In short, as Complex’s Shawn Setaro previously explained here, Durk has a separate racketeering-focused trial on the horizon. Consequently, prosecutors are expected to push for Durk to remain in jail, even if he emerges victorious in the murder-for-hire trial.
