Lil Durk’s Lawyer Drew Findling Reflects On Acquittal & What Comes Next

Winning his murder-for-hire trial brought relief, but it did not bring Lil Durk home. Two weeks after a Los Angeles federal jury acquitted him on all five counts tied to the 2022 shooting that killed Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson, lead attorney Drew Findling says the rapper is processing the verdict while remaining focused on the people waiting for him outside.

“He’s obviously very, very pleased and happy with the results,” Findling told Complex in an interview published Thursday. He described the trial as emotionally draining for Durk and said the aftermath has centered largely on his family. The defense team spent 22 months preparing for the case, with Findling saying the work became deeply personal as the possibility of a life-altering conviction hung over their client.

That preparation ended with Durk being cleared of the murder-for-hire and stalking charges prosecutors brought over the failed attempt to target Quando Rondo. Prosecutors alleged Durk arranged the attack as retaliation for King Von’s 2020 killing. The jury rejected the case against him on Sept. 11. His co-defendants Deandre Wilson and David Lindsey were acquitted of the murder-for-hire charges but convicted on stalking-related counts.

Lyrics became a recurring issue during the trial, and Findling remains sharply critical of prosecutors using an artist’s music to support criminal allegations. He told Complex that treating commercially released Rap as evidence can be a “grave mistake,” comparing it to attempting to use fictional violence from another art form against its creator.

His comments come after prosecutors repeatedly pointed to Durk’s music while presenting their theory of the case. The defense argued that lyrics written and released as entertainment should not be treated as straightforward admissions about real-world conduct. Findling said professional artists are creating music for public consumption, making that context essential when prosecutors try to introduce their work in court.

Meanwhile, Durk’s legal fight is not finished. He remains in federal custody while facing a separate trial on charges that include murder in aid of racketeering and a related firearms count. He has pleaded not guilty. A Nov. 4 bond review is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald, while the timing of the second trial remains unsettled despite an earlier Oct. 5 date appearing on the calendar.