(Photo Credits: Dominick D [CC BY-SA])
Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was back in Chicago courthouse this Monday—February 25, 2020—to face new charges. He reportedly pleaded not guilty to six new criminal charges which included allegedly orchestrating a hate crime on himself and making four separate false reports to the Chicago Police Department. Cook County Circuit Court Judge James Linn set a $20,000 personal recognizance bond on Smollett as he wasn’t a flight risk, meaning that the bond does not need to be paid as long as Smollett appears in court as required. Smollett will be back in court on March 18 for the next hearing.
According to Reuters, Smollett’s attorney Tina Glandian had “submitted a motion to the circuit court to dismiss the case based on a double-jeopardy challenge, claiming that Smollett had already been punished in the original case by forfeiting his original $10,000 bond.”
#JussieSmollett lawyers say they are “frustrated….It’s really hard to believe we’re here one year later”. #Chicago #Cookcounty pic.twitter.com/7d6wDxgIVA
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) February 24, 2020
The Osundairo brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola, who Smollett allegedly paid $3,500 “to stage the incident for publicity,” also appeared in the court hearing. The brothers’ lawyer, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, explained their presence by saying simply that it was to “support the criminal justice process.” Rodriguez also said that, “The brothers are sorry for their involvement.”
It has been over a year since Jussie Smollett—37, an actor and an openly gay black man—had reported on January 29, 2019 that he was attacked by two men in Chicago who he said had also yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him. But after police investigation, Smollett was instead charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct last March 8, 2019 for allegedly staging a fake racist and homophobic hate crime attack on himself. However, these charges were dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office last March 26, 2019. The decision came after “reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case” including Smollett’s agreement to forfeit his bond plus the community service he rendered. His case files were “immediately sealed” and were said to have been expunged from Smollett’s records.
Last June 2019, however, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin “ruled that irregularities in the case warranted a special prosecutor.” Two months later, Judge Toomin appointed former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor to look into the entire Jussie Smollett case. At the time, Chicago Tribune said that the special prosecutor could file new charges against Smollett “or anyone else they reasonably believe committed a crime.” Fast forward to February 11, 2020, it was announced that Smollett was indicted by grand jury on six counts of disorderly conduct for filing false reports to Chicago police officers. Read more about Smollett’s case here.
Jussie is really not too bright. His lawyers are feeding off him like jackals on a carcass. All he had to do with act humble, keep his mouth shut and not look a gift horse in the mouth; and really how could anyone look at Kimm Foxx’s mouth without puking anyway? Instead he managed to screw off a sweetheart deal and here he is back at square one, without the hope of Auntie Kimmie bailing his stupid ass out. Wonder how much his shysters are charging for this debacle? A request to the Supreme Court? And Jussie poo authorized that… Read more »
As he should be, there shouldn’t be different rules for the rich and the famous (or well connected). Anyone else would not have had the charges dropped.
Seriously, fuck this guy. This was nothing more then a ploy to try to further his career, which is crap at best. Throw the book at him. Those that abuse the system piss me off.
Fuck this pathetic,washed up pile of shit,overpaid,dumbass,irresponsible,disgusting,nasty ass motherfucking,liar! In the end I hope Hollywood never employs his ass. What a global embarrassment this turd really is to everyone whom has ever been the victim of a hate crime.
Well they are really going after this one again aren’t they. I don’t support what he did but after his ruling last year, the guy’s never going to work again in Hollywood. He’s already ruined any opportunity as a successful career. He self destructed. Let it go.
No! He should not be without punishment for what he did, and Kim Foxx should also be indicted for interfering in a criminal investigation.
Being from Chicago, I hope they throw the book at him. He cost the over taxed citizens of Chicago a lot of money for a crime it was obvious he committed. Kim Foxx should be right there beside him. Using a hate crime for personal game is the lowest you can go.
Some time in the Cook County jail would do him good, if he were even able to survive it.
At this point who really cares…. He is a criminal…..
Not saying he’s innocent or guilty but it sure seems like he’s guilty. The public deserves to know the truth. Intentionally stirring up more racial tension is just WRONG. Good looks, making good money, handsome, sexy, successful, talented (acting yes, not such a good singing voice though unless you like that billygoat sound), etc. and all that still wasn’t enough for him. SMH
arrogant. pathetic. guilty as hell. lock him up.
He’ll look fabulous in that orange jumpsuit.
Sadly he apparently totally missed the NO DUMBASS ZONE signs when he somehow thought this hair brained skit was a bright idea. Somehow crying wolf under the national media spotlight will make it so much easier for the main stream media and law enforcement to just dismiss a real hate crime against a real victim as they fail to believe or even investigate the next attack. Now that he’s under the advise of counsel, of course he’s not guilty. Jessie didn’t just break the law when he looked us all in the face and weaved his web of lies in… Read more »
Justice needs to be served on this criminal who dodged charges before by playing the race card and the gay card.
I am a very woke, sixty-six-year-old gay, Black man. I am a child of the civil rights, gay rights, and women’s rights movements – and I am still very annoyed by what Jussie did. I am ashamed of this brother. Throughout my life, racism has ALWAYS been my last ‘go-to’ after all other avenues have been exhausted…. Perhaps I am simply not liked, or wrong, or irritating – but racism is always the last of the considerations. Yes, this nation is a very racist one. Indeed, it’s also a very homophobic and misogynistic one. However, staging a racist, homophobic attack… Read more »
his whore situation is beyond bizarre. Kim Foxx should also be under investigation for the way she handled the case, why consult the Obama’s then drop the charges on Smollett? The whole Smollett fiasco is beyond bizarre.
CORRECTION: the two first words were supposed to be “This whole”. Sorry keyboard went wacko.
enough already, why don’t we just convict the guy of stupidity and execute him…enough is enough
“Welcome to Season 2 of ‘Jussie Does Badly!!’ “
Does anyone care? He fecked up. He played the selfish card and is paying the price big time. I can’t, I don’t, feel sorry for him. He’s no talented Mr Ripley!
Its very unfortunate that this is going to waste more tax payer’s money. I think he is guilty of the charges but I’m not sure if this is the end of his career. There have been men who have done much worst than him from engaging in sex with underage girls, committing adultery with his stepdaughter, to another going off on a racist tirade. These men are all working in Hollywood and doing very well. But there is one difference between them and Jussie. Jussie is a gay black man. Most people know gay black men are not considered highly… Read more »
When he goes to prison, imagine all the lucky top inmates getting some of that!
Jussie is guilty as sin. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THROW KIM FOXX OUT OF OFFICE! SHE IS CORRUPT AS HELL.
He is old enough to learn that actions have consequences – bad parenting or none at all left him without basic smarts – throw his ass in jail – not in the general population area where he could “have fun” buy in solitary for a couple years.
This POS miscreant could have triggered a race riot with his self-serving, criminal behavior. Throw the book at him.