Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett is appealing his 2021 conviction on charges of staging a hate crime against himself, and the Illinois Supreme Court is set to hear his case.
The Illinois Supreme Court will hear Smollett’s case
The Associated Press reported that the Illinois Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it had agreed to hear Smollett’s case. However, no date has been set when this will actually happen.
Smollett had filed a petition last month asking that the Illinois high court intervene in his ongoing legal drama after his conviction for a staged hate crime was upheld by an Illinois appeals court in December .
He was previously found guilty of five of six disorderly conduct charges after a nearly two-week trial in 2021.
Related: Jussie Smollett returns to court to appeal conviction for lying about hate crimes
Smollett allegedly stages a hate crime
This came after Smollett, who is Black and openly gay, said in January 2019 that he was attacked in Chicago by two men wearing ski masks. He claimed the men hurled racist and homophobic attacks at him while also shouting “this is MAGA country.” After police investigated Smollett’s claims, however, they concluded that he had staged a hate crime against himself by hiring two Nigerian brothers to attack him in hopes of securing a higher salary on “Empire.”
After being found guilty, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay restitution to the city of Chicago in the amount of $120,106 as well as a $25,000 fine. According to Komo News, Smollett ultimately served just six days in jail before being released pending his appeal.
Now, however, Smollett wants this belief to be overturned.
“What should have been a simple case was complicated by the intersection of politics and public outrage,” Smollett’s lawyers said in a February filing, according to Fox News.
Related: Jussie Smollett will likely return to prison as conviction is upheld by Illinois Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals upholds Smollett’s conviction
Unfortunately for Smollett, an Illinois appeals court upheld his conviction in December.
“In this case, the State’s nolle prosequi of prosecution was not a final determination of the case,” the court said, according to CNN.
“Therefore, the State was not precluded from reprosecuting Smollett,” the court continued. “After the nolle prosequi was entered, Smollett was free to leave without seeking recognizance to appear at any other time, which is the agreement Smollett made.”
Special Prosecutor Dan. K. Webb praised the appeals court for upholding the decision.
“As the appeals court noted, Mr. Smollett’s defiance[d] virtually every aspect of the prosecution, and the appeals court correctly rejected each of these challenges,” Webb said. “Today’s decision is a vindication of Winston & Strawn’s tireless work on this matter and a resounding victory for the justice.”
“We are proud to have prevailed in a case that we believe can help restore public confidence in the Cook County justice system,” he continued.
Many believe Smollett sought to downplay the racial and political divisions in this country for his own personal gain. One can only hope that the Illinois Supreme Court upholds Smollett’s conviction and that he ultimately serves the full prison sentence he deserves.
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