Jussie Smollett's Conviction for False Hate Crime Claim Is Overturned

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: New York Times

Jussie Smollett’s Conviction for False Hate Crime Claim Is Overturned
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that he should not have been prosecuted a second time after the charges against him had been dismissed with a negotiated agreement.


Jussie Smollett during a court appearance in 2019. The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned his conviction on charges of filing a false police report. Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

By Julia Jacobs
Nov. 21, 2024
Updated 11:50 a.m. ET

The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges of filing a false police report claiming that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019, finding that he was unjustly prosecuted a second time after his charges had been resolved as part of a negotiated agreement.

Lawyers for the actor — who had been starring in the music-industry drama “Empire” when he first reported that he had been the victim of a hate crime in Chicago — argued that Mr. Smollett’s rights had been violated when a special prosecutor revived a case against him that had been dismissed by state prosecutors.

When Mr. Smollett first reported the attack, he claimed that two men had mildly injured him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs, with one of them yelling, “This is MAGA country.” The apparently bigoted attack against a Black and gay actor sparked outrage. But law-enforcement officials later determined that Mr. Smollett had orchestrated the attack himself, and charged him with a crime.

The prosecutors then agreed to drop the charges against Mr. Smollett in exchange for his agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond and perform community service. But after an outcry the case was revived by a special prosecutor, and Mr. Smollett was convicted of felony disorderly conduct for falsely reporting to the police that he had been the victim of a bigoted attack.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/arts/jussie-smollett-conviction-overturned.html

[cstanleytech]

1. Translation never do essentially a plea deal and then try to go back on it.

[Jacson6]

2. Apparently double jeporady doesn't mean anything to some politicos & State's Attorneys. n/t

[cadoman]

3. not even sure why he was charged to begin with

He went through a lot and needlessly went to prison to sate the MAGA rage the country was enveloped in then--all because an innocent Black man was murdered over $20.

Congrats to the good people of Illinois and their court for setting this matter right.

[VeryProgressive]

5. Why?

Because he clearly lied about the incident and had law-enforcement spend a lot of time and money investigating it. He is an innocent here you know.

[The Grand Illuminist]

7. That is just one of many true sacrifices.

Last edited Thu Nov 21, 2024, 05:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Doing what it takes to end the MAGA tyranny and serve the greater good.

[LauraInLA]

8. The Supreme Court decision specifically has nothing to do with his "innocence" -- it's about the equivalence

of double jeopardy. There’s no question he made up his account and cost the city $130,000.

[Jk23]

9. Long time discrimination against the French. NT

[FakeNoose]

4. Lawsuit against the state of Illinois coming in three ... two ... one ...

[Old Crank]

6. Yes

The would be my guess. Taxpayers get screwed by prosecuters trying to make a name for themselves.

[Blue_Tires]

10. I wish I was still on Twitter just to see the Trumper ragegasm

Going on right now...