Lil Durk demands removal of judge from murder-for-hire case
Lil Durk is requesting the removal of Judge Patricia Donahue from his murder-for-hire trial, which is set to begin in January.
The Chicago rapper has accused prosecutors of hiding important information, claiming they kept quiet about violent threats against the court and the lead prosecutor.
According to AllHipHop, his legal team claims they buried graphic voicemails left for the judge on February 22nd, referencing Durk and his co-defendant, Deandre Wilson.
A caller demanded Durk’s release while threatening to kill the judge. “If they get life, I’m going to burn this [expletive] down,” the caller said. “I’m talking ’bout the world, and I’m going to burn it, burn it to the ground.”
Another call saw a man threatening to kill Assistant United States Attorney Ian Yanniello and the entire courthouse staff.
The rapper’s team allege that they didn’t find out about the FBI investigation until eight months after the calls occurred. In their recent motion, they claim this stopped Durk from being able to challenge the judge’s neutrality.
“The integrity of criminal prosecutions depends on transparency and impartiality,” his lawyer, Drew Findling, said. “Here, both were fatally compromised. Because these violations strike at the core of due process and the constitutional guarantee of receiving fair hearings in front of an impartial decision-maker, dismissal is the only adequate remedy.”
Durk has been charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death.
He’s also facing one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
Durk faces a possible life sentence if found guilty. The trial has been delayed on two occasions, but is scheduled to begin on January 20th.