Actor's 'fake' hate crime conviction reversed
In 2021, Jussie Smollett was convicted for orchestrating a racist and homophobic assault on himself. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Jussie Smollett, who was found guilty in 2021 of staging a hate crime against himself, has had his conviction overturned by the supreme court in Illinois.
The actor, known for his role in the television series ‘Empire’ and identified as black and gay, was convicted for faking a racist and homophobic attack and for lying to law enforcement officials.
In 2019, Smollett reported being assaulted in Chicago by two white men who allegedly shouted racial and anti-gay slurs while placing a noose around his neck. This claim sparked a widespread search for the suspects, but investigators later concluded that the incident was staged. Testimony from the suspects revealed that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to carry out the attack.
Initially, the state's attorney agreed to drop charges against Smollett in exchange for a $10,000 payment and community service. This decision faced considerable backlash and was viewed as unjust by many.
Afterward, a special prosecutor brought new charges against Smollett, resulting in his trial and subsequent conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct related to the orchestrated attack. He received a sentence of 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and was ordered to pay over $130,000 in restitution. Smollett served six days of his sentence before being released while appealing the case.
On Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court indicated that the second prosecution was the primary reason for overturning Smollett’s conviction. Referring to the previously dropped charges, the court remarked that while “many people” were dissatisfied, the state was obligated to honor “the agreements it makes with defendants.”
“We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction,” the court stated.
The prosecution expressed its disagreement with the ruling, asserting that it “has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence,” and emphasized that “overwhelming evidence” pointed to Smollett having “orchestrated a fake hate crime.”
Throughout the ordeal, Smollett has asserted that the attack was “no hoax” and that he indeed fell victim to a hate crime in Chicago.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
The actor, known for his role in the television series ‘Empire’ and identified as black and gay, was convicted for faking a racist and homophobic attack and for lying to law enforcement officials.
In 2019, Smollett reported being assaulted in Chicago by two white men who allegedly shouted racial and anti-gay slurs while placing a noose around his neck. This claim sparked a widespread search for the suspects, but investigators later concluded that the incident was staged. Testimony from the suspects revealed that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to carry out the attack.
Initially, the state's attorney agreed to drop charges against Smollett in exchange for a $10,000 payment and community service. This decision faced considerable backlash and was viewed as unjust by many.
Afterward, a special prosecutor brought new charges against Smollett, resulting in his trial and subsequent conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct related to the orchestrated attack. He received a sentence of 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and was ordered to pay over $130,000 in restitution. Smollett served six days of his sentence before being released while appealing the case.
On Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court indicated that the second prosecution was the primary reason for overturning Smollett’s conviction. Referring to the previously dropped charges, the court remarked that while “many people” were dissatisfied, the state was obligated to honor “the agreements it makes with defendants.”
“We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction,” the court stated.
The prosecution expressed its disagreement with the ruling, asserting that it “has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence,” and emphasized that “overwhelming evidence” pointed to Smollett having “orchestrated a fake hate crime.”
Throughout the ordeal, Smollett has asserted that the attack was “no hoax” and that he indeed fell victim to a hate crime in Chicago.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
