What is an anonymous jury? Legal term explained as prosecutors in Lil Durk's murder-for-hire case place a special request for his trial

Rapper Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire trial is reported to begin in January 2026. However, according to Complex, the prosecutors in the case have requested an anonymous jury, as they claimed that there could be safety-related issues from members of Only the Family (OTF), a Chicago-based hip-hop group founded in 2010.

On October 6, a motion was submitted in a federal court detailing jury members’ safety concerns that arise out of the rapper’s involvement with OTF. This group is reported to have extensive reach and violent tendencies. As per the motion, an anonymous jury means that personal details of the jurors should be undisclosed, even to the legal representatives involved in this case.

One of the reasons for requesting an anonymous jury is the exposure the case could get. A decision regarding this request is yet to be made. Meanwhile, according to the prosecutors, Lil Durk and the others involved in the case had intimidated public officials. Although the matter was looked into, the alleged threats had no connection with the accused individuals, Complex reports. The court paper mentions:

“As this Court has already emphasized, defendant Banks—the leader of OTF—’uses his money, influence and power to endanger individuals whom he pereceives as a threat. Defendants’ vast resources, coupled with the expansive reach and violent nature of OTF, further justify additional safeguards to keep the jury from intimidation and harassment.”

The document explained that Lil Durk, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, acted like the leader of a street gang, having a lot of control over the people who worked with him while trying to keep himself away from their criminal activities.

Recent developments in Lil Durk’s case

Lil Durk had allegedly attempted to hinder the judicial process. Although he was in prison, an Apple watch was discovered in his cell in August 2025. The court documents mention:

“Even more troubling is Banks’ conduct after he was caught. Rather than accept responsibility for this violation, defendant allegedly obstructed the investigation attempting to damage and/or destroy the communications device.”

In other news, the rapper’s legal team had been fighting to get the case dismissed. For the uninitiated, Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire case alleges that he attempted to take down a person named Quando Rondo as vengeance for his friend, King Von’s killing.

According to an exclusive report by AllHipHop, prosecutors claim that Lil Durk arranged everything to go after Rondo, who managed to escape during the shooting incident. Meanwhile, a member of his legal team, Drew Findling, said:

“While the Indictment alleges that the co-conspirators carried out various acts ‘at the direction of’ Mr. Banks, flying to Los Angeles; tracking, stalking, and attempting to kill [Quando Rondo] by gunfire; and procuring the firearms and equipment used to do so, it fails to give any specifics.”

He added:

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“When, where, how, and to whom did Mr. Banks give these alleged directions? To ensure the basic fairness of this trial, the defense is entitled to know.”

Findling said that the charges didn’t clearly explain the important details that the defense had the right to know, like the exact reasons the government believed Banks was guilty. He also mentioned that there was no claim that Banks was directly involved in the stalking or shooting.

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