The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Jussie Smollett for falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago police in 2019 due to prosecutorial issues. The court ruled that Smollett should not have been charged after he had entered into a nonprosecution agreement with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The judges emphasized the importance of honoring agreements upon which people have relied, despite the public interest in the case. Special prosecutor Dan Webb, who brought the second case against Smollett, disagreed with the court’s decision and noted that his team had spent two years developing the case.
Smollett was previously sentenced to jail time and probation after being found guilty of felony disorderly conduct. He had claimed to be the victim of a hate crime but was later accused of staging the attack with the help of two brothers. The charges against Smollett were initially dropped by the State’s Attorney’s Office in exchange for community service and turning over his bond to the city.
The decision to drop the charges led to criticism from Chicago Police Department leadership and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who described it as a “whitewash of justice” and special treatment for a celebrity. A special prosecutor later revived the case, leading to Smollett’s trial where he denied staging the attack. The Osundairo brothers testified that Smollett hired them to stage the attack for publicity, but Smollett’s defense claimed they were taking advantage of him for financial gain. Smollett maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
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