Jurors deciding Lil Durk’s federal murder-for-hire case are asking the court for clarification on “intent,” putting renewed attention on one of the central questions they must resolve before reaching a verdict. The request came as deliberations continued for a second day in Los Angeles.
The jury sent two additional notes to U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald on Thursday, September 10, seeking guidance on the instructions governing the case. According to AllHipHop, which reported reviewing Jury Notes Nos. 2 and 3, jurors first asked for clarification on an instruction related to the stalking conspiracy.
The second note focused more directly on what prosecutors must prove about the defendants’ state of mind. Jurors asked what “intent” means when determining whether someone intended to kill, injure, harass or intimidate another person.
Fitzgerald did not provide a new legal definition of the word after consulting both prosecutors and defense attorneys. Instead, he directed jurors back to the instructions already given and indicated that “intent” should be understood according to its ordinary meaning.
The exchange does not reveal whether jurors are leaning toward conviction or acquittal, but it offers a clearer look at the issues they are examining. Their questions suggest the panel is closely considering whether prosecutors established the level of intent required to support the charges.
That issue is particularly important because the government does not accuse Durk of personally carrying out the August 19, 2022 shooting. Prosecutors allege instead that Durk financed and helped direct a plot to kill Quando Rondo.
Jurors must determine whether the evidence proves that Durk knowingly joined or assisted the alleged plan with the criminal intent required under federal law. According to Los Angeles Magazine, the jury instructions make clear that association with people involved in a crime or knowledge of criminal activity is not enough on its own to establish guilt.
The latest questions follow the jury’s first request after deliberations began Wednesday. As we previously reported, jurors asked to receive the admitted evidence in digital form so they could review the extensive trial record.
That initial request gave little indication of how the panel viewed the government’s case or the defense arguments. Thursday’s questions provide more insight into the specific legal issues jurors are now working through before reaching a decision.
Prosecutors have argued that the deadly Los Angeles attack was part of a retaliation plot following the November 2020 killing of Durk’s close friend and OTF artist King Von. Quando Rondo survived the 2022 shooting, while his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed.
During the trial, the government presented financial records, travel information, phone and location data, messages and witness testimony in an effort to connect Durk to the alleged operation. Prosecutors have argued that the combined evidence shows Durk had a directing and financial role in the plot.
Durk’s defense has offered a sharply different interpretation, arguing that prosecutors have not proven he ordered, financed or knowingly participated in a plan to kill Rondo. His attorneys have repeatedly emphasized what they describe as gaps between the government’s evidence and the conclusions prosecutors are asking jurors to draw.
The defense has also challenged the credibility of cooperating witnesses who admitted their own involvement before testifying for the government. Durk’s attorneys have questioned whether the possibility of receiving more favorable sentences gave those witnesses an incentive to implicate him.
We previously covered that dispute during OTF Jam’s cross-examination by attorney Brian Steel. Our earlier trial coverage also examined the government’s use of Durk’s music and lyrics while attempting to establish motive and intent.
Another late dispute centered on Durk’s lengthy 2023 interview with DJ Akademiks. According to Complex, Durk’s attorneys asked Fitzgerald to allow jurors to see additional portions of the interview after prosecutors referenced a shorter excerpt during rebuttal closing arguments.
Fitzgerald rejected that request and noted that the prosecution’s characterization of the clip came during closing arguments. Statements made by attorneys during closing arguments are not themselves evidence for jurors to consider.
Durk and co-defendants Deandre “DeDe” Wilson and David “Browneyez” Lindsey have pleaded not guilty to the charges before the jury. The panel must consider each defendant and each count separately before reaching its verdict.
The questions surrounding intent should not be interpreted as proof that the jury has already settled on a decision. As of the latest confirmed reporting, deliberations remain underway and no verdict has been announced.
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