Rapper Lil Durk has been released from solitary confinement after nearly five months in near-total isolation.
According to XXL, the Chicago-born rapper, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, had been placed in solitary over an alleged infraction involving an Apple Watch, a decision his legal team argued was not properly reviewed by the prison's Unit Discipline Committee.
Durk's lawyers painted a stark picture of his confinement. He was reportedly locked in a small cell for 23 hours a day, with only enough space for a bed, a toilet, and a sink.
He had no commissary access, could make just one phone call per month, and was not allowed in-person visits. "Mr. Banks' defense team has a growing concern that his prolonged solitary confinement may implicate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on 'cruel and unusual punishment,'" the lawyers wrote.
Trial Rescheduled Amid Overwhelming Evidence
Durk's release comes as his federal murder-for-hire trial has been rescheduled to April 21, 2026. The trial was originally set for January but has been postponed multiple times due to the complexity of the case and the massive volume of evidence.
Attorneys for Durk's codefendants described receiving "hundreds of gigabytes" of digital forensic data, including more than 30,000 pages of investigative reports, surveillance footage, jail calls, wiretap audio, DNA analysis, and ballistics reports.
Judge Michael Fitzgerald, presiding over the case in the Central District of California, cited this as the reason for allowing more time to prepare.
"The case is so unusual and so complex, due to the nature of the prosecution and the number of defendants, that it is unreasonable to expect preparation for pre-trial proceedings or for the trial itself within the time limits established by the Speedy Trial Act," the judge said when granting the continuance, per Complex.
Durk, however, reportedly objected to the delay.
His attorney, Drew Findling, said, "These are the stepping stones towards a trial," adding that while preparation is key, Durk wants to clear his name as soon as possible.
Charges and Background
The charges against Durk stem from a 2022 shooting outside a Beverly Center gas station. Prosecutors allege Durk offered a monetary bounty against rival rapper Tyquian "Quando Rondo" Bowman, allegedly in retaliation for the 2020 murder of Durk's close friend King Von. While Bowman survived an ambush, his cousin Saviay'a "Lul Pab" Robinson, 24, was killed.
The federal government has described Durk's label, OTF (Only The Family), as a "hybrid gang" operating under his direction. If convicted on the conspiracy charge resulting in death, Durk faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison.
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