Lil Durk has spent almost two years behind bars awaiting his murder-for-hire trial, and it's now reportedly set to kick off in full over the course of at least three weeks. According to KESQ, United States District Judge Michael Fitzgerald oversaw the selection and final seating of 12 jurors and four alternates in court at the end of Friday (August 21).
This brought an end to an unexpectedly complicated jury selection in Lil Durk's trial in Los Angeles. One of around 80 prospective jurors said Durk and his codefendants looked guilty, and the process slowed down. Elsewhere, prospective jurors answered questions from lawyers about their thoughts on gangster rap and the drill music the Chicago rapper made a name for himself through.
One woman reportedly said the music is suggestive of "violence," another woman said the genre could affect her impartiality, and a man admitted to having "negative connotations" associated to rap. Another prospective juror said he had no right "to judge whether rap is good or bad," instead being there to determine criminal guilt.
In addition, a defense attorney reportedly asked potential jurors for their thoughts on music "that's not Peter, Paul and Mary or Karen Carpenter" with lyrics that are hard to understand. More specifically, the lawyer asked if these thoughts would impact fairness. One potential juror said she would appreciate "subtitles or captions" for the music.
Lil Durk's Music As Evidence
These conversations about the music Durk makes are important because it will be evidence in the Lil Durk trial. Judge Fitzgerald approved the prosecution's presentation of various lyrics, music videos, and other material, including the 2021 "Pissed Me Off" visual. Also, there are other debates about evidence proposals regarding cell phones and other material, with the judge largely siding with the prosecution on some of these matters.
Lil Durk's supporters also caught the court's attention, but for negative reasons. The judge scolded a group of supporters for passing out "Free Durk" postcards in the courtroom. He warned of potential prosecution for contempt of court. Given how high-profile this case is and all the media debate surrounding it, the impartiality of the jury is key.
