Actor Jussie Smollett's Criminal Trial to Begin After Years of Delay

[oldsoftie]

Last edited Mon Nov 29, 2021, 08:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: WSJ

CHICAGO—Actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal trial on charges from his allegedly staging a hate crime against himself is set to begin Monday after three years of delays and an investigation into the district attorney’s handling of the case.

Mr. Smollett, in late January 2019, claimed two men assaulted him while yelling racist, antigay and pro- Donald Trump slogans. He also alleged they hit him and tied a noose around his neck. Investigators soon alleged that he had fabricated the event.

He is being tried for six counts of disorderly conduct for making false reports to police.

The trial has been delayed due to events including having the charges dropped and refiled and an investigation into how Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx handled the investigation. The Covid-19 pandemic added to the delays. A court official said the trial will begin with jury selection and could be completed within days.

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/actor-jussie-smolletts-criminal-trial-to-begin-after-years-of-delay-11638108002

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ETA: The article is now paywalled, so here is a Tribune link thats not:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-jussie-smollett-trial-preview-20211129-3l6siynkwjgttcjz325u552heu-story.html

[Archae]

1. Good. Where is this asshole anyway nowadays?

[TreasonousBastard]

2. A jury trial for that?

[Haggard Celine]

3. I hit a paywall when I tried to read the article, but

I remember back when all of this happened that they said he could get years for what they're charging him with. Seems like he would do better by working out a deal with prosecution and going through a judge than with a jury trial, but I'm sure his lawyer knows what he's doing. Maybe he's afraid they want to make an example of him. Could be. He fucked up!

[oldsoftie]

13. Doggone it, there wasnt a paywall when I posted it! Here's one thats NOT

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-jussie-smollett-trial-preview-20211129-3l6siynkwjgttcjz325u552heu-story.html

[Haggard Celine]

14. Thank you!

I wanted to learn more about the story, and this article spells it all out pretty well. They made a deal with him to forfeit his bond to get out of the charges, I had read years ago. Now they've indicted him again. I'm kind of surprised that was allowed. I don't know what to expect from this case. It's going to be another controversial right v. left case in the press. I'm sure Fox News will follow the trial very closely.

[oldsoftie]

15. The prosecutor at the time, Kim Fox, was accused of a "sweetheart deal". Here's that story

https://news.wttw.com/2020/08/17/special-prosecutor-finds-substantial-abuses-discretion-kim-foxx-s-handling-jussie

"substantial abuses of discretion".

[OneCrazyDiamond]

16. That is a lot like the Cosby case. n/t

[Skittles]

10. he didn't take a plea?

he is a piece of work

[Hoyt]

4. At this point, just let it go. His life is screwed.

[jimfields33]

6. At the least, he should try a plea bargain

Tell the DA he was dumb and caused a lot of problems for the country and please give me just probation. I think a jury will give him time in jail. The fact are so clear. Defense lawyer will have a difficult time defending this mess.

[MichMan]

19. He's banking that at least one person on the jury will be swayed by his celebrity status

[OneCrazyDiamond]

17. How so?

The just released a trailer on his new film.

[Pantagruel]

5. An actor

lying to get publicity ? Shocking.

[OnlinePoker]

9. The issue isn't just lying to get publicity

He lied about a racist attack that never happened at a time when black men (mostly) were being victimized for real by police and others. He tried to profit off of the real suffering of others and needs to be held accountable for it.

[Takket]

7. Wow last I heard charges were dropped

Didn’t know they ever came back. Good news. Hope they get the conviction!

[orleans]

12. this

The controversy significantly tarnished Smollett’s career when he was criminally charged and led to his character being written off the hit Fox televsion show “Empire.” It also brought intense scrutiny on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office when the initial disorderly conduct charges against Smollett were suddenly dropped months later.

That decision by Foxx’s office led to the appointment of former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as a special prosecutor in the case tasked with reinvestigating the allegations against Smollett, as well as possible wrongdoing by Foxx and her staff.

A year later, Smollett was indicted again on six counts of disorderly conduct — all low-level felony charges — related to making false statements to police about the alleged attack.

The stakes at trial for Smollett are fairly low: The charges against him carry a maximum sentence of three years, with a lighter sentence, even probation, the likely outcome if he is convicted, given Smollett’s lack of a serious criminal background.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/11/28/22800734/jussie-smollett-former-empire-star-hate-crime-hoax

[Shellback Squid]

8. if proven, the damage done to to the the LGBTQ community is incalculable

and he should suffer the consequences

[jcmaine72]

11. Sad part of it is....

Smollett will probably end up serving more time for pulling a silly stunt than Rittenhouse did for two murders.

[LiberatedUSA]

18. Making up a racist attack is not a silly stunt. N/t

[jcmaine72]

22. Did anyone actually die?

Because they certainly did in Kenosha, and killer walked free, but whatever...

Perhaps next we can institute mandatory prison sentences for prank phone calls?

But as long as we retain our constitution "right" to walk down a street with an assault rifle and shoot people and later claim self-defense it's all good.

Ya know, Murica, home of the brave. And all that...

[LiberatedUSA]

24. Ok.

But if you excuse this, then you have to excuse it if a white person makes up a racist attack or it is hypocrisy.

Stand on your “values”.

[madville]

25. Walking down the street with an AW in Chicago would

Result in multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, regardless of who was doing it. Their laws there are much stricter than WI.

[MichMan]

20. Lawyer: Jussie Smollett 'a real victim' of attack in Chicago

Chicago – Jussie Smollett “is a real victim” of a “real crime,” his attorney said in opening statements at the ex-"Empire" actor's trial Monday, rejecting prosecutors’ allegation that he staged a homophobic and racist attack in Chicago after the television studio where he worked didn’t take hate mail he had received seriously.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said two brothers attacked Smollett in January 2019 because they didn't like him, and that a $3,500 check the actor paid the men was for training so he could prepare for an upcoming music video, not as payment for staging a hate crime, as prosecutors allege. Uche also suggested a third attacker was involved and told jurors there is not a “shred “ of physical and forensic evidence linking Smollett to the crime prosecutors allege.

“Jussie Smollett is a real victim," Uche said.


[link:https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2021/11/29/jussie-smollett-trial-osundairo-brothers-center-stage/8795226002/|

[Groundhawg]

21. Technically, He commited a hate crime.

If a hate crime goes unpunished, they will keep happening.

[jcmaine72]

23. Against whom?

Himself?

That'll certainly be a first in the annals (or is it "anals"?) of American legal history.

In retrospect, Smollett's biggest mistake was not showing up at a protest with an assault rifle and murdering a couple of people. He'd be a considered a hero today in some circles.

[marshall]

26. Like minors sending lewd selfies child pornography

It would all depend on the wording of the statute.