Lil Durk stands accused of intimidating witnesses in his upcoming murder-for-hire case set for later this year.
Prosecutors have fired back at Durk’s attempt to get the case thrown out by highlighting these alleged threats.
“[Lil Durk] is not on trial for his lyrics or his music; he is on trial because he directed, orchestrated, and financed the brazen murder plot at issue in this case,” U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli stated in court documents, according to AllHipHop.
“The motion fails to cite any legitimate basis to dismiss the indictment or unseal grand jury transcripts, particularly in this murder case where witnesses and their family members have already been threatened,” he continued.
Durk’s defense team previously pushed for dismissal, arguing that prosecutors are using lyrics as evidence that were recorded months before the shooting death of Rondo’s cousin, Savaiy’a Robinson.
Just weeks ago, Durk’s family released a statement blasting the “false evidence” being used against him. “The recent developments in Durk’s legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him,” they stated. “This isn’t justice. That’s a violation of the very system that’s supposed to protect all of us.”
“Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal—and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him,” the statement continues. “We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.”
To make matters worse for the rapper, his latest bid for freedom was shot down when U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue denied his bail request, citing a report that Durk allegedly broke phone rules while behind bars. “It shows a disrespect for the rules, and that is precisely the court’s concern,” Donahue remarked.
