Lil Durk verdict: Rapper ‘in tears’ after not guilty verdict as family celebrates acquittal, tell me about this news in (https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/lil-durk-verdict-rapper-in-tears-after-not-guilty-verdict-as-family-celebrates-acquittal-101789174987031.html)
12-09-2026
According to the report from the Hindustan Times, rapper Lil Durk (whose legal name is Durk Banks) was acquitted of all charges in his federal murder-for-hire trial on Friday, September 11, 2026.Key details reported in the article:
- Courtroom Reaction: The 33-year-old rapper broke down in tears as the not-guilty verdicts were read. His defense attorneys hugged him, and his partner, India Royale, embraced his mother in the courtroom gallery as family members celebrated the acquittal.
- The Verdict: After several weeks of trial, the jury cleared Lil Durk and his two co-defendants of all counts. The charges included conspiracy, using interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and firearms offenses in furtherance of a violent crime.
- The Allegations: Federal prosecutors alleged that Banks orchestrated an August 2022 shooting near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles aimed at rival rapper Tyquian Bowman (known as Quando Rondo) in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Chicago rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett. While Bowman was unharmed in the attack, his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, was killed.
- The Defense Case: Defense attorneys Drew Findling and Brian Steel argued that prosecutors failed to prove Banks ordered, financed, or participated in the shooting, characterizing the evidence as having a “tsunami of reasonable doubt.” They emphasized that Banks was not in Los Angeles at the time, pointed out the absence of financial records tying him to the hit, and argued that an estranged former assistant had acted independently.