NEWS Jussie Smollett convicted of orchestrating and reporting a phony hate crime on himself

[mucifer]

Source: Chicago Tribune

Actor Jussie Smollett was convicted by a Cook County jury Thursday of staging and reporting a hate crime on himself, marking a dramatic end to a case that captivated the nation ever since he reported being attacked on a frigid night in Chicago nearly three years ago.

After a weeklong trial with testimony from 13 witnesses and lengthy closing arguments, the jury deliberated for about 9 hours over two days before finding Smollett, 39, guilty of disorderly conduct for lying to police about the January 2019 incident. Smollett faces up to three years in prison, though with no prior criminal record its far more likely he would receive a lighter sentence including possible probation.

Smollett remained stoic as the verdict was announced. He was found guilty on five of six counts.

The allegedly phony racial and homophobic attack on the then-“Empire” actor led to one of the most momentous minor felony cases in Cook County history.



Read more: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-jussie-smollett-trial-deliberations-verdict-20211209-ygk6goeptjggrozvbgasqpxd5u-story.html

[Itchinjim]

1. Good.

[jimfields33]

10. Should be longer, you are right.

The destruction he caused by this story is stunning. Plus he didn’t show a bit of sorrow at all during the trial.

[Pisces]

17. That's what he could get. The judge has not handed down the sentence

[Demovictory9]

3. I agree with the verdict. It was comically fake. He had a promising career

don't know why he messed things up. on 2nd thought... I do know why... our social media culture... wanted the attention to give him higher profile.

[spudspud]

4. Meanwhile a guy walks with probation for planting bombs at BLM protests.

[jimfields33]

11. If I remember right, he was offered a plea bargain but turned it down

That’s why it’s hard to compare cases.

[Rocknation]

29. Jussie was offered a "first offender"-level plea deal

though he wasn't a first offender.


Rocknation

[Pisces]

5. Good, actual people are attacked for race and this guy used

It to negotiate a pay raise! Insanity!

[appmanga]

6. This...

...failed the smell test from Day One. Hopefully, it will teach a lot more people to temper their comments and judgments until more of known about what's been alleged.

[LakeArenal]

7. 🤔 Hmmm.....no it probably won't.

[BootinUp]

8. That guy is a fuckin royal clown

[2Gingersnaps]

9. Exactly, three years but they did indeed get this incredibly dangerous criminal.

Now if only murderers, rapists, treason and seditionist got more than wink nod say no more.

[Skittles]

12. why didn't that idiot plead out

is he just a publicity hound, no matter how bad?

[MichMan]

13. Probably figured at least one juror would be influenced by his celebrity status

Rolled the dice and lost

[Skittles]

14. most people had never heard of him

and don't want to hear about him again

[oldsoftie]

19. Which is exactly why i knew this was fake from the start

dead of night, zero degrees; you'd be wrapped up from the cold. Then you're in Chicago; not a hotbed of Trumpers. So a relatively unknown actor, who happens to be gay (which would also be relatively unknown), is ambushed in the middle of a freezing Chicago night and assaulted? Please.

[XanaDUer2]

25. But he wanted a sandwich

Do I need the sarcasm thingy?

[oldsoftie]

27. Oh yeah, I forgot about that!

[Rocknation]

16. The D.A. might have been amenable to a plea deal if he hadn't gotten one in 2007

based on DUI, no license, and -- WAIT FOR IT!!! -- lying to the police!

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2299224


Rocknation

[Rocknation]

15. No prior criminal record?

Last edited Thu Dec 9, 2021, 10:34 PM - Edit history (2)

The prosecutor colluded with Smollett's family to set up a first-offender-level plea deal, but he wasn't a first offender. In 2007, Smollett took a plea deal based on the charges of DUI, no license, and -- WAIT FOR IT!!! -- lying to the police...which is why this case had to be re-opened in the first place!

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2299224

But all's well that ends well...cue the guy with the Dragnet hammer...

Rocknation

[nycbos]

18. Good.

I am willing to bet this case has made it harder to get justice for actual hate crime victims.

[oldsoftie]

20. And thats the real damage done.

[keithbvadu2]

21. Jerk!

[JohnnyRingo]

22. Probation? He tried to stoke racial tensions for his benefit.

Throwing gasoline on racial fires is more serious than that.
He shouldn't just be sentenced for lying to cops or "disorderly conduct".

[The Mouth]

26. I very much agree with you

but there isn't a specific crime on the books to which that applies.

What a hurtful thing to have happened, what a terribly effective justification to give to every racist who says subsequent actual attacks are fake.

[llashram]

23. well I've been

watching this one with some interest. I will have to wait for the verdict on this idiot. Yet viewing 'Central Park Karen' Amy Cooper video lying her ass off and her final sentence. Five therapy sessions to explore her racist hate. I do wonder what sentence Smollett will be. I will see. I will be exploring as many cases as Cooper's just to probably see again, A POC is f***** when charged by white folks of anything. Jail versus therapy sessions. Makes me go hmmm...

[Midnight Writer]

24. The difference between the Left and the Right?

The Right rally around their wrongdoers, praise them, support their actions no matter how egregious, pay money to them, make them media stars, encourage others to emulate them.

The Left looks at the facts, and if the person is guilty, they cut them off, regardless of their status.

[LiberalLovinLug]

28. "a case that captivated the nation ever since he reported being attacked"

Amazing how the one time a celebrity is caught staging a racist/sexist attack "captivates the nation" (ie...captivates the news media)

but the importance of spending hours and hours on following this story is so important, and meanwhile many many more actual racist/sexist assaults take place and are not that big of a deal to them.