JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville rapper on trial for the 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Charles “Lil Buck” McCormick Jr. and 16-year-old- Adrian “Lil Bibby” Gainer Jr was back in court Thursday.
Hakeem Robinson’s court appearance came days after a post on his Instagram account made serious claims about his treatment at the Duval County jail, and those claims were brought up in front of Judge Tatiana Salvador.
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Robinson walked into a Duval County courtroom, shackled and with a mask on his face, he didn’t say anything, but his attorney certainly did.
“It’s my understanding my client, has been moved into a psych ward, my client has no mental health history, and has had no issues while in custody other than the time he was body-slammed,” said Attorney Chris DeCoste, who added that he expects to be back before the court soon on a separate motion.
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DeCoste said he has brought up the jail conditions to the court before, and the issue he currently has is that he can’t communicate with his client due to his new housing situation. DeCoste added that he has seen how those types of conditions have weighed down on inmates mentally.
On Monday, a lengthy statement was posted on Robinson’s Instagram account.
In part, it reads:
“To whom this may concern, I Hakeem Robinson is being housed in PDF which is Duval pretrial detention facility. I am being mentally abused by staff officials in this facility,” the post reads. “My 14th Amendment which is my constitutional rights has been violated. I’ve been placed in isolation with other detainees who are mentally ill, have serious health issues, and have been diagnosed with different illnesses and disabilities. I’ve not violated any rules in this facility nor received any disciplinary orders.”
The post goes on to say that he has had mental breakdowns where he hasn’t eaten or slept in days.
“I fully understand this is jail and I can’t have things my way. But I am a human being and I deserve to be treated accordingly,” the post reads.
The post also said Robinson has not been able to talk to family members or other detainees, but the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office disputed that claim.
Judge Salvador said that Robinson was being housed on the 6e level of the jail. She said 6e houses not only mental illness inmates but also juveniles and serves as discipline confinement for inmates who break the rules.
JSO responded to the allegations made in the post, emailing News4JAX the following statement:
Robinson is currently under investigation. He is currently in ‘isolation,’ however, he’s not housed in any area as he described. As it pertains to the access to Instagram, no, inmates do not have access to such platforms.
Robinson can also speak to family for an hour a day.
Outside of this, we do not have any further information available.
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Investigators said Robinson is a documented gang member, linked to the violent gang “ATK.” Members of ATK are also accused in the murder of Charles Jones, a Jacksonville rapper known as “Julio Foolio,” in July.
Back in February of 2019, 16-year-old Gainer, also known as “Lil Bibby,” was shot and killed at the Hilltop Apartments, and prosecutors believe Robinson was the gunman.
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Fast forward to Jan. 15, 2020, McCormick Jr. was gunned down in a parking lot at the Dames Pointe Plaza.
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Dominique Barner, also known as “Butta,” was another one of the men who were arrested in connection to the killing. Barner was arrested on Aug. 13 on another charge of second-degree murder in the February 2019 shooting death of a bicyclist on Emerson Street.
Barner was offered a plea deal after court documents said he talked about his involvement in the murder with a jail informant who was wearing a wire.
According to court documents, Barner said that the group found McCormick’s address on public records, went to his home, and followed him to the shopping center. Barner also said he was the driver that day, according to court records. He told investigators Robinson wanted to kill McCormick Jr. for making a rap song about Willie Addison, Robinson’s half-brother who was killed in a drive-by shooting.
JSO arrested Barner, Robinson, Leroy Whitaker, and Abdul Robinson Jr. in connection with McCormick’s death.
Robinson is expected to be back in court on Jan. 16, 2025.
Hakeem Robinson’s attorney has said that he doesn’t fit the description of the shooter seen in a video of the shooting.
News4JAX reached out to Hakeem Robinson’s attorney to comment on the new allegations of mistreatment but he did not immediately respond.
