Jussie Smollett, the actor who was convicted of staging a hate crime involving himself, has just had his Conviction Overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court.
November 21, 20224- The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned a conviction against Empire star Jussie Smollett. One that has followed him since 2019.
This comes nearly 5 years after the charges had originally been brought against Smollett.
Jussie Smollett Hate Crime
In 2019, Smollett claimed that he was the victim of a racial/homophobic hate crime. Where two masked individuals beat him and used racial and homophobic slurs while pouring bleach and tying a noose around his neck. He would tell authorities that one of the attackers said “This is MAGA country” during this.
It would later be discovered that Smollett had orchestrated the hate crime with the help of two Nigerian-American brothers who worked on the set of Empire with Smollett. He paid them a sum of $3,500 each and police would find records of payment along with the purchase of rope, masks, and gloves.
After a lengthy trial, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and ordered to pay restitution of over $120,000 for legal fees. The judge ruling over the case called him a “charlatan pretending to be the victim of a hate crime… Shameful.”
@nbc10boston Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in prison in connection with a staged hate crime. He’ll have to pay $120,000 to the city of Chicago and he was also fined an additional $25,000. #NBC10Boston #JussieSmollett #Boston #Massachusetts
♬ original sound – NBC10 Boston
Jussie Smollett Case Overturned?
Now, 5 years later, the Illinois Supreme Court has overturned the Smollett ruling on the pretense of a nonprosecution agreement that Smollett initially entered into with Cook County prosecutors.
The case would later be given over to a special committee which led to his sentencing and conviction.
@abcnewslive The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a 2019 attack against himself and lied to police. #jussiesmollett #empire #news #popculture #legalnews
♬ original sound – ABC News Live
The court stated that Smollett, “should not have been charged after he entered a non-prosecution agreement with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.”
Dan Webb, the attorney who prosecuted Smollett made a statement disagreeing with the court’s ruling. He stated, “”Make no mistake – today’s ruling has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence, the Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Mr. Smollett orchestrated a fake hate crime and reported it to the Chicago Police Department as a real hate crime, or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct.” (here)
Jussie Smollett
While the conviction is overturned. It is still widely accepted and a known fact that Smollett did orchestrate the hate crime himself. What it came down to was a technical mistake on the part of the prosecuting team and Cook County.
“We respectfully disagree with the Court’s factual and legal reasoning which upends long-standing Illinois precedent.” Stated Dan Webb following the ruling. (here)
Jussie Smollett’s restitution payment of $120,000 which would have gone to the city of Chicago for the expenses paid investigating was also overturned.
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Published by HOLR Magazine
Image Credit: @nbc10boston TikTok, @abcnewslive TikTok, Cover Photo via @jussiesmollett Instagram
