Current:Home > BackIllinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett's convictions and jail sentence-LoTradeCoin
Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett's convictions and jail sentence
View Date:2024-12-23 21:53:00
An appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions Friday of actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying about it to Chicago police.
Smollett, who appeared in the TV show "Empire," challenged the role of a special prosecutor, jury selection, evidence and many other aspects of the case. But all were turned aside in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court.
Smollett had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. The search for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself, leading to his arrest on charges he had orchestrated the whole thing.
Authorities said he paid two men whom he knew from work on "Empire," which filmed in Chicago. Prosecutors said Smollett told the men what slurs to shout, and to yell that he was in "MAGA Country," a reference to Donald Trump's presidential campaign slogan.
'I was on the up and up':Jussie Smollett disputes claims that he staged hate crime for fame
A jury convicted Smollett in 2021 on five felony counts of disorderly conduct, a charge that can be filed in Illinois when a person lies to police.
He now will have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that was part of his sentence. Smollett spent just six days in jail while his appeal was pending.
Lawyers for Smollett, who is Black and gay, have publicly claimed that he was the target of a racist justice system and people playing politics.
"We are preparing to escalate this matter to the Supreme Court," Smollett spokeswoman Holly Baird said, referring to Illinois' highest court and also noting that the opinion at the appellate court wasn't unanimous.
Appellate Justice Freddrenna Lyle would have thrown out the convictions. She said it was "fundamentally unfair" to appoint a special prosecutor and charge Smollett when he had already performed community service as part of a 2019 deal with Cook County prosecutors to close the case.
"It was common sense that Smollett was bargaining for a complete resolution of the matter, not simply a temporary one," Lyle said.
More:Jussie Smollett found guilty of 5 counts of staging racist, anti-gay attack in Chicago, lying to police
Special prosecutor Dan Webb was appointed to look into why the case was dropped. A grand jury subsequently restored charges against Smollett in 2020, and Webb concluded there were "substantial abuses of discretion" in the state's attorney office during the earlier round.
Smollett was not immune to a fresh round of charges, appellate Justices David Navarro and Mary Ellen Coghlan said in the majority opinion.
"The record does not contain any evidence that (prosecutors) agreed Smollett would not be further prosecuted in exchange for forfeiting his bond and performing community service," they said.
More:Jussie Smollett releases song 'Thank You God' to maintain his innocence, donate to causes
veryGood! (99)
Related
- Roy Haynes, Grammy-winning jazz drummer, dies at 99: Reports
- The secret to Barbie's enduring appeal? She can fend for herself
- Prime Day 2023 Deals on Amazon Devices: Get a $400 TV for $99 and Save on Kindles, Fire Tablets, and More
- Deep in the Democrats’ Climate Bill, Analysts See More Wins for Clean Energy Than Gifts for Fossil Fuel Business
- Kansas basketball vs Michigan State live score updates, highlights, how to watch Champions Classic
- Prime Day 2023 Deals on Amazon Devices: Get a $400 TV for $99 and Save on Kindles, Fire Tablets, and More
- Surprise, you just signed a contract! How hidden contracts took over the internet
- Is Threads really a 'Twitter killer'? Here's what we know so far
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Something Corporate
- Does Love Is Blind Still Work? Lauren Speed-Hamilton Says...
Ranking
- Bev Priestman fired as Canada women’s soccer coach after review of Olympic drone scandal
- Vanessa Hudgens' Amazon Prime Day 2023 Picks Will Elevate Your Self-Care Routine
- Prime Day 2023 Deal: 30% Off the Celeb-Loved Laneige Lip Mask Used by Sydney Sweeney, Alix Earle & More
- Vanessa Hudgens' Amazon Prime Day 2023 Picks Will Elevate Your Self-Care Routine
- FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo dies at 22 after injuries from October crash
- How a New ‘Battery Data Genome’ Project Will Use Vast Amounts of Information to Build Better EVs
- Environmental Advocates Call on Gov.-Elect Wes Moore to Roll Back State Funding for Fossil Fuel Industry
- 'Barbie' beats 'Oppenheimer' at the box office with a record $155 million debut
Recommendation
-
Human head washes ashore on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
-
The quest to save macroeconomics from itself
-
Inside Clean Energy: ‘Solar Coaster’ Survivors Rejoice at Senate Bill
-
What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and listening
-
What Happened to Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone Character? John Dutton’s Fate Revealed
-
The Choice for Rural Officials: Oppose Solar Power or Face Revolt
-
Should we invest more in weather forecasting? It may save your life
-
This is Canada's worst fire season in modern history — but it's not new