Lil Durk is still locked in solitary confinement months after being taken off the general jail floor, and his lawyers say the reason traces back to an Apple Watch.
According to a new court filing submitted Tuesday, the rapper has spent roughly 131 days isolated at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center with little explanation and limited contact with the outside world. His attorneys argue that the situation violates federal detention rules and may rise to the level of an Eighth Amendment issue.
Defense lawyer Christy O’Connor says Lil Durk has been denied commissary access, is allowed just one phone call per month, and has not received in-person visits. The confinement allegedly began after officials claimed he was found “in possession of an unauthorized Apple Watch.”
“[Lil Durk] is confined to a very small jail cell, just large enough for a single bed, a toilet, and a sink,” O’Connor wrote, warning that extended isolation carries serious mental health risks. “The deleterious effects of extended solitary confinement on an inmate’s psychological well-being are well-documented.”
The filing also claims officials have given shifting explanations for the prolonged isolation. At first, the defense was allegedly told the placement had nothing to do with fame. Months later, the warden reportedly said Lil Durk posed a threat due to the high-profile nature of his case.
Both sides are now seeking to push the trial date from Jan. 20 to May 4.