Jussie Smollett could soon be back behind bars after an Illinois appeals court today backed the ex-Empire actor’s disorderly conduct convictions stemming from a faked hate crime and playing fast and loose with the truth with Chicago cops.
“We affirm the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County,” said appellate Justices David Navarro and Mary Ellen Coghlan for the majority in a largely procedural based opinion released Friday.
On March 10 last year, after multiple trips to court, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months’ probation over the staged early 2019 incident on the freezing Windy City streets. Proclaiming his innocence, Smollett was let out of the Cook County jail on March 16, 2022 after an Appellate Court granted a motion from his lawyers for a stay of the sentence pending appeal.
Now that appeal has failed with a 2-1 opinion.
Which means Smollett will likely go back to jail...
“We affirm the judgment of the circuit court of Cook County,” said appellate Justices David Navarro and Mary Ellen Coghlan for the majority in a largely procedural based opinion released Friday.
On March 10 last year, after multiple trips to court, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months’ probation over the staged early 2019 incident on the freezing Windy City streets. Proclaiming his innocence, Smollett was let out of the Cook County jail on March 16, 2022 after an Appellate Court granted a motion from his lawyers for a stay of the sentence pending appeal.
Now that appeal has failed with a 2-1 opinion.
Which means Smollett will likely go back to jail...
- 12/1/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Empire star Jussie Smollett has filed an appeal of his 2021 conviction for faking a hate-crime attack in Chicago in early 2019.
“The renewed prosecution of Mr. Smollett violated his due process rights,” attorney Heather Widell wrote in the court document filed Thursday (read it here), “because (1) Mr. Smollett fully performed his part of a non-prosecution agreement with the state by performing community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bail bond; and (2) the state benefited from taking and keeping Mr. Smollett’s bail bond without performing its end of the bargain. Thus, the violation of due process was prejudicial and requires reversal of Mr. Smollett’s convictions and a dismissal of the charges against him.”
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“The renewed prosecution of Mr. Smollett violated his due process rights,” attorney Heather Widell wrote in the court document filed Thursday (read it here), “because (1) Mr. Smollett fully performed his part of a non-prosecution agreement with the state by performing community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bail bond; and (2) the state benefited from taking and keeping Mr. Smollett’s bail bond without performing its end of the bargain. Thus, the violation of due process was prejudicial and requires reversal of Mr. Smollett’s convictions and a dismissal of the charges against him.”
Related Story Fox Nation To Release ‘Jussie Smollett: Anatomy Of A Hoax’ Docuseries Related Story "We've Been Told A Completely Different Story About Danish History": How Frederikke Aspöck & Anna Neye Crafted Göteborg Colonial Satire 'Empire' Related Story...
- 3/2/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Ahead of R. Kelly’s sentencing hearing next week on federal child pornography charges, the Chicago judge overseeing the case denied a bid by the singer’s lawyers for a new trial Thursday.
In Sept. 2022, Kelly was found guilty on six of the 13 counts, including creating child pornography and enticing minors into illegal sexual activity. Kelly’s lawyers subsequently filed motions seeking either an overturn of the conviction or a new trial on the Chicago federal charges.
However, Judge Harry D. Leinenweber ruled against Kelly on Thursday, saying prosecutors provided...
In Sept. 2022, Kelly was found guilty on six of the 13 counts, including creating child pornography and enticing minors into illegal sexual activity. Kelly’s lawyers subsequently filed motions seeking either an overturn of the conviction or a new trial on the Chicago federal charges.
However, Judge Harry D. Leinenweber ruled against Kelly on Thursday, saying prosecutors provided...
- 2/16/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Disgraced musician R. Kelly and his legal team have been fighting for his freedom since 2019 when he was arrested on federal sex abuse charges. His latest case involving some charges was a legal victory for Kelly and his representatives, as the prosecutors in the case decided to drop the charges they were bringing against the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer.
R. Kelly | Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images R. Kelly received a 30-year sentence in 2022
R. Kelly’s charges were brought in the aftermath of Lifetime premiering its docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which chronicled Kelly’s years of abuse in the words of some of the survivors themselves. After Surviving R. Kelly, Kelly was charged in Chicago with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse in February 2019, followed by another 11 charges in May. In July 2019, a Chicago grand jury indicted him on 13 counts, including child pornography,...
R. Kelly | Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images R. Kelly received a 30-year sentence in 2022
R. Kelly’s charges were brought in the aftermath of Lifetime premiering its docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which chronicled Kelly’s years of abuse in the words of some of the survivors themselves. After Surviving R. Kelly, Kelly was charged in Chicago with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse in February 2019, followed by another 11 charges in May. In July 2019, a Chicago grand jury indicted him on 13 counts, including child pornography,...
- 2/2/2023
- by Chris Malone
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
More than a decade after his first trial in 2008, Cook County, Illinois, prosecutors have dropped charges against the disgraced rapper R. Kelly.
With hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify, Kelly (whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly), is now notoriously known for being a sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses such as sex trafficking, racketeering, production of child porn and a slew of others.
The 56-year-old convict had charges dropped against him in the state of Illinois, attorney Kim Foxx announced in a news conference on Monday in Chicago, “Due to the extensive sentences that these convictions hold, our office has decided not to continue to expend our limited resources and court time with the indictments that we previously charged [against] Mr. Kelly.”
In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2022
Kelly faced ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four women, three who were minors at the time,...
With hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify, Kelly (whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly), is now notoriously known for being a sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses such as sex trafficking, racketeering, production of child porn and a slew of others.
The 56-year-old convict had charges dropped against him in the state of Illinois, attorney Kim Foxx announced in a news conference on Monday in Chicago, “Due to the extensive sentences that these convictions hold, our office has decided not to continue to expend our limited resources and court time with the indictments that we previously charged [against] Mr. Kelly.”
In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died In 2022
Kelly faced ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four women, three who were minors at the time,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Emily Sorkin
- Uinterview
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced on Monday that her office is dropping the pending sexual assault and abuse cases against disgraced singer and convicted felon R. Kelly, following federal convictions against him in New York and Chicago. Kelly is already serving 30 years for his conviction in New York and is expected to serve several decades once sentencing takes place in Chicago next month.
Foxx announced the news ahead of Tuesday’s court hearing related to the state charges. In February 2019, a Cook County grand jury gave Kelly four indictments.
Foxx announced the news ahead of Tuesday’s court hearing related to the state charges. In February 2019, a Cook County grand jury gave Kelly four indictments.
- 1/30/2023
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Chicago, Il — The defense lawyers for R. Kelly and co-defendants Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown began presenting their cases Thursday in the singer’s federal child pornography trial at Dirksen U.S. courthouse. But before calling their first witnesses, the defendants voiced their decisions on whether they planned to testify prior to the jury being brought into the courtroom.
“No, I’m not going to testify,” Kelly told U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber. Brown also declined his right to testify, whereas McDavid said he will testify on his behalf.
“No, I’m not going to testify,” Kelly told U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber. Brown also declined his right to testify, whereas McDavid said he will testify on his behalf.
- 9/1/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
CNN+ is diving into the Jussie Smollett case in a new documentary that will explore the events leading up to the actor’s conviction for lying to police about a 2019 attack.
“Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett” will be the first of the platform’s new FLASHDoc series, a documentary unit exploring timely and topical pop culture stories. Each documentary will be a standalone. Along with the announcement of project, CNN+ also released a trailer, which you can watch above.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed he was assaulted on the streets of Chicago after making a Subway sandwich run in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. Earlier this month, he was convicted of lying to police about the attack. However, Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the three-year ordeal. Though he was sentenced to five months in jail for the conviction, he has already been released pending his appeal.
The...
“Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett” will be the first of the platform’s new FLASHDoc series, a documentary unit exploring timely and topical pop culture stories. Each documentary will be a standalone. Along with the announcement of project, CNN+ also released a trailer, which you can watch above.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed he was assaulted on the streets of Chicago after making a Subway sandwich run in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. Earlier this month, he was convicted of lying to police about the attack. However, Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the three-year ordeal. Though he was sentenced to five months in jail for the conviction, he has already been released pending his appeal.
The...
- 3/31/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
CNN+, which launched on Tuesday, has created a new documentary unit to produce quick turnaround documentaries.
The first from the CNN+FlashDocs unit, Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett, will look at the actor’s recent case, and will debut on Friday on demand.
The Deadline Watchlist: Grammys, ‘SNL’ Returns In Shadow Of Will Smith’s Oscar Slap Of Chris Rock, Iger Talks ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law On CNN+, NCAA Tourney Endgames & ‘The Invisible Pilot’
Katie Hinman, vice president of program development for CNN, said in a statement that the unit will be “a way for CNN+ to tackle the stories shaping pop culture while contextualizing them with fresh reporting and nuanced voices.” The Smollett documentary features interviews with the actor’s brothers, JoJo and Jocqui, as well as former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson, special prosecutor Dan Webb, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Smollett’s defense...
The first from the CNN+FlashDocs unit, Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett, will look at the actor’s recent case, and will debut on Friday on demand.
The Deadline Watchlist: Grammys, ‘SNL’ Returns In Shadow Of Will Smith’s Oscar Slap Of Chris Rock, Iger Talks ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law On CNN+, NCAA Tourney Endgames & ‘The Invisible Pilot’
Katie Hinman, vice president of program development for CNN, said in a statement that the unit will be “a way for CNN+ to tackle the stories shaping pop culture while contextualizing them with fresh reporting and nuanced voices.” The Smollett documentary features interviews with the actor’s brothers, JoJo and Jocqui, as well as former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson, special prosecutor Dan Webb, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Smollett’s defense...
- 3/31/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Jussie Smollett Was Denied Justice Because Chicago Police ‘Mishandled’ the Case, Actor’s Family Says
“There’s no verifiable evidence” against Jussie Smollett. That’s the claim the actor’s family made at a press briefing as they insisted Chicago police “mishandled” the case and Smollett was denied justice.
During the hour-long virtual gathering on Friday, the “Empire” star’s siblings — Jazz Smollett, Jocqui Smollett and Joel Smollett stated their case. The Smollett family and defense attorney Heather Widell met with a select group of Los Angeles-based Black journalists and insisted Jussie never lied about being assaulted.
“Our main focus right now is making sure that the media understands that the narrative that Jussie is lying, that he committed perjury in any way, or that his story fell apart is just patently not correct,” said attorney Widell. “We have independent witnesses who completely and unequivocally corroborate Jesse’s story of what he saw that night.”
However, Widell didn’t elaborate on the identities of those witnesses.
During the hour-long virtual gathering on Friday, the “Empire” star’s siblings — Jazz Smollett, Jocqui Smollett and Joel Smollett stated their case. The Smollett family and defense attorney Heather Widell met with a select group of Los Angeles-based Black journalists and insisted Jussie never lied about being assaulted.
“Our main focus right now is making sure that the media understands that the narrative that Jussie is lying, that he committed perjury in any way, or that his story fell apart is just patently not correct,” said attorney Widell. “We have independent witnesses who completely and unequivocally corroborate Jesse’s story of what he saw that night.”
However, Widell didn’t elaborate on the identities of those witnesses.
- 3/19/2022
- by Anita Bennett
- The Wrap
An Illinois appeals court sided with Jussie Smollett Wednesday and ruled the Empire actor recently convicted of staging a hate hoax in January 2019 should be released on bond pending the outcome of his appeal.
The surprise decision, which sprung Smollett from custody after he signed a $150,000 personal recognizance bond, followed less than a week after a Cook County judge sentenced him to five months in a Chicago jail for his conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct.
The ruling, signed by two of the appellate panel’s three justices, found...
The surprise decision, which sprung Smollett from custody after he signed a $150,000 personal recognizance bond, followed less than a week after a Cook County judge sentenced him to five months in a Chicago jail for his conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct.
The ruling, signed by two of the appellate panel’s three justices, found...
- 3/16/2022
- by Nancy Dillon
- Rollingstone.com
Jussie Smollett has been ordered to be released from jail during his appeal process, a court in Chicago ruled on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
An appeals court agreed with Smollett’s lawyers that he should be released pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack from 2019. The appeals court said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000.
Earlier this month the “Empire” actor was sentenced to five months in jail, as well as a fine of $25,000 and a 30-day probation period. His lawyers argued that he would have completed his jail sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that he could be harmed if locked up in Cook County Jail.
Smollett was previously found guilty last December on charges that he staged a hate-crime attack against himself in 2019. Judge James B. Linn stated...
An appeals court agreed with Smollett’s lawyers that he should be released pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack from 2019. The appeals court said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000.
Earlier this month the “Empire” actor was sentenced to five months in jail, as well as a fine of $25,000 and a 30-day probation period. His lawyers argued that he would have completed his jail sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that he could be harmed if locked up in Cook County Jail.
Smollett was previously found guilty last December on charges that he staged a hate-crime attack against himself in 2019. Judge James B. Linn stated...
- 3/16/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Chicago’s top prosecutor, state’s attorney Kim Foxx, says the justice system failed disgraced actor Jussie Smollett, who was sentenced to 150 days in jail for staging a hate hoax crime.
Writing in the Chicago Sun Times, Foxx – who was heavily criticized for perceptions that she went easy on Smollett in he handling of his case — said the court proceedings at his Thursday sentencing amounted to “mob justice” and a politically motivated “kangaroo prosecution.”
Thursday’s Smollett sentencing and fine came as a result of a special prosecutor reigniting the case after outcries at the light penalties Smollett faced for his disproven claims of a racial attack on him.
Foxx defended her decision in Smollett’s original charges, and claimed his prosecution could ultimately serve as “a deterrent to the next generation of prosecutors eager to fight for critical reforms.”
“It pains me deeply to say that, in this particular case,...
Writing in the Chicago Sun Times, Foxx – who was heavily criticized for perceptions that she went easy on Smollett in he handling of his case — said the court proceedings at his Thursday sentencing amounted to “mob justice” and a politically motivated “kangaroo prosecution.”
Thursday’s Smollett sentencing and fine came as a result of a special prosecutor reigniting the case after outcries at the light penalties Smollett faced for his disproven claims of a racial attack on him.
Foxx defended her decision in Smollett’s original charges, and claimed his prosecution could ultimately serve as “a deterrent to the next generation of prosecutors eager to fight for critical reforms.”
“It pains me deeply to say that, in this particular case,...
- 3/12/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated: Jussie Smollett, the former star of “Empire” who ignited a firestorm in 2019 when he claimed to be the victim of a homophobic and racist assault, was convicted on Thursday of five counts of lying to the police about the incident. He was acquitted on a sixth charge.
Smollett faced six counts of “disorderly conduct,” a Class 4 felony in Illinois — a relatively minor offense. The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of three years in prison, but are more likely to result in a sentence of probation.
Dan Webb, the special prosecutor who tried the case, said the verdict was a “complete vindication” for the Chicago Police Department. He said that Smollett’s false report had harmed the city, and argued that Smollett had compounded his misconduct by lying on the witness stand. He said he would raise that point at sentencing.
“Defendants do not have the right to go...
Smollett faced six counts of “disorderly conduct,” a Class 4 felony in Illinois — a relatively minor offense. The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of three years in prison, but are more likely to result in a sentence of probation.
Dan Webb, the special prosecutor who tried the case, said the verdict was a “complete vindication” for the Chicago Police Department. He said that Smollett’s false report had harmed the city, and argued that Smollett had compounded his misconduct by lying on the witness stand. He said he would raise that point at sentencing.
“Defendants do not have the right to go...
- 12/9/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Jussie Smollett insisted to a Chicago courtroom Monday that the violent attack against him in early 2019 “was no hoax.”
On the stand in his own defense, the ex-Empire star called the assault by men hurling punches and homophobic and racial slurs and shouting “Maga country” to be “something out of Looney Tune adventures.”
Asked directly by special prosecutor Daniel Webb in cross-examination if he wanted the police to treat his attack as a “hate crime,” Smollett replied that he “wanted police to solve a crime that had happened to me.”
Holding to his story under one-time Iran-Contra lawyer Webb’s sometimes intense questioning, Smollett said it was “fully false, 100 percent false” that he planned or paid anyone to stage an attack on him.
Facing half a dozen felony charges spiraling out of the alleged hate crime that soon afterward was characterized by Chicago police, politicians and prosecutors as probably a PR stunt,...
On the stand in his own defense, the ex-Empire star called the assault by men hurling punches and homophobic and racial slurs and shouting “Maga country” to be “something out of Looney Tune adventures.”
Asked directly by special prosecutor Daniel Webb in cross-examination if he wanted the police to treat his attack as a “hate crime,” Smollett replied that he “wanted police to solve a crime that had happened to me.”
Holding to his story under one-time Iran-Contra lawyer Webb’s sometimes intense questioning, Smollett said it was “fully false, 100 percent false” that he planned or paid anyone to stage an attack on him.
Facing half a dozen felony charges spiraling out of the alleged hate crime that soon afterward was characterized by Chicago police, politicians and prosecutors as probably a PR stunt,...
- 12/7/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The opening day of former Empire star Jussie Smollett’s felony trial in Chicago was long and painted two very different portraits of what actually went down in January 2019.
Citing a “tremendous rush to judgment” over the seeming unraveling of Smollett’s version of the early winter morning racial and politically motivated attack on the Windy City streets, defense attorney Nenye Uche declared in his opening statement that “Jussie Smollett is a real victim.”
That remark in front of a freshly selected and seated jury in Judge James Linn’s Cook County courtroom came on a nearly 11-hour day in what is expected to be a weeklong trial.
Facing half a dozen disorderly conduct counts, Smollett could be heading behind bars for up to three years if found guilty. Yet, even in a case that has seen pretzel like twists, dismissal of the original charges, a slap on the wrist,...
Citing a “tremendous rush to judgment” over the seeming unraveling of Smollett’s version of the early winter morning racial and politically motivated attack on the Windy City streets, defense attorney Nenye Uche declared in his opening statement that “Jussie Smollett is a real victim.”
That remark in front of a freshly selected and seated jury in Judge James Linn’s Cook County courtroom came on a nearly 11-hour day in what is expected to be a weeklong trial.
Facing half a dozen disorderly conduct counts, Smollett could be heading behind bars for up to three years if found guilty. Yet, even in a case that has seen pretzel like twists, dismissal of the original charges, a slap on the wrist,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Jury selection is underway in a Chicago courtroom in the case of Jussie Smollett, who is accused of faking a hate crime against himself nearly three years ago.
Smollett, onetime star of “Empire,” faces six counts of “disorderly conduct” for allegedly filing a false police report about the attack. Smollett, who is Black and gay, has maintained that he was assaulted on Jan. 29, 2019, by two men who yelled homophobic and racist slurs, put a rope around his neck and yelled “This is Maga country.”
Jurors are expected to hear from two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, who have said that Smollett paid them $3,500 to carry out the attack. Smollett has denied that.
The trial is expected to last about a week. According to pool reporters in the courtroom, Judge James Linn said he expected to complete jury selection on Monday, and perhaps get into opening statements and begin some testimony...
Smollett, onetime star of “Empire,” faces six counts of “disorderly conduct” for allegedly filing a false police report about the attack. Smollett, who is Black and gay, has maintained that he was assaulted on Jan. 29, 2019, by two men who yelled homophobic and racist slurs, put a rope around his neck and yelled “This is Maga country.”
Jurors are expected to hear from two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, who have said that Smollett paid them $3,500 to carry out the attack. Smollett has denied that.
The trial is expected to last about a week. According to pool reporters in the courtroom, Judge James Linn said he expected to complete jury selection on Monday, and perhaps get into opening statements and begin some testimony...
- 11/29/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
A disorderly conduct trial that is expected to start Monday in Chicago will be drawing worldwide attention. That’s because the accused is former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, whose now-discredited claim of a racially motivated attack in January 2019 shocked the world.
The twists in the Smollett saga are legendary. After claiming he ventured forth on a freezing cold night at 2 Am to get a sandwich, Smollett said he was attacked by two men wearing “Maga” gear. After a struggle, they left him battered and with a noose around his neck.
Subsequent investigations purportedly showed Smollett staged the attack with the help of two brothers he met at a local gym. He was severed from his Empire role and has since occupied himself with producing and directing an independent film, B-Boy Blues, which opened last week.
Smollett was eventually indicted on 16 counts of providing false information, but had them all dismissed...
The twists in the Smollett saga are legendary. After claiming he ventured forth on a freezing cold night at 2 Am to get a sandwich, Smollett said he was attacked by two men wearing “Maga” gear. After a struggle, they left him battered and with a noose around his neck.
Subsequent investigations purportedly showed Smollett staged the attack with the help of two brothers he met at a local gym. He was severed from his Empire role and has since occupied himself with producing and directing an independent film, B-Boy Blues, which opened last week.
Smollett was eventually indicted on 16 counts of providing false information, but had them all dismissed...
- 11/28/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Jussie Smollett, the former Empire actor embroiled in a false claim that he was attacked in Chicago and subjected to racist and anti-gay slurs, now will face criminal charges of lying to police.
A judge on Friday denied a bid to dismiss the criminal case against Smollett.
An attorney for Smollett claimed the actor’s rights were being violated since he has already performed community service and given up a $10,000 bond under a previous deal with Cook County prosecutors to drop charges.
“A deal is a deal. That’s ancient principle,” attorney Nenye Uche said.
Judge James Linn disagreed, and noted that the Smollett case is now being led by a special prosecutor appointed by another judge.
Linn said jury selection in Smollett’s trial would start Nov. 29.
Smollett told police in January 2019 that two masked men attacked him when he was in Chicago. He was charged weeks later with...
A judge on Friday denied a bid to dismiss the criminal case against Smollett.
An attorney for Smollett claimed the actor’s rights were being violated since he has already performed community service and given up a $10,000 bond under a previous deal with Cook County prosecutors to drop charges.
“A deal is a deal. That’s ancient principle,” attorney Nenye Uche said.
Judge James Linn disagreed, and noted that the Smollett case is now being led by a special prosecutor appointed by another judge.
Linn said jury selection in Smollett’s trial would start Nov. 29.
Smollett told police in January 2019 that two masked men attacked him when he was in Chicago. He was charged weeks later with...
- 10/16/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb reported “substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” in Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx’s handling of Jussie Smollet’s case.
Webb, who was assigned to probe the investigation, released his findings on Smollet’s case and Foxx’s handling on Monday. He writes that Foxx and those working with her created false statements, later shared to the public regarding, Smollet’s dismissal.
In January 2019, The Empire star came under fire for supposedly staging alleged racist and homophobic attacks against himself. He was indicted on 16 felony counts in March 16, including one for allegedly filing a false police report following the January incident.
Webb’s report continues to say that Foxx and her staff demonstrated potential violations of ethics in their handling of the case. However, the prosecutor could not find anything criminal in Foxx’s handling.
Mark Geragos, Smollett’s attorney, responded to Webb’s report.
Webb, who was assigned to probe the investigation, released his findings on Smollet’s case and Foxx’s handling on Monday. He writes that Foxx and those working with her created false statements, later shared to the public regarding, Smollet’s dismissal.
In January 2019, The Empire star came under fire for supposedly staging alleged racist and homophobic attacks against himself. He was indicted on 16 felony counts in March 16, including one for allegedly filing a false police report following the January incident.
Webb’s report continues to say that Foxx and her staff demonstrated potential violations of ethics in their handling of the case. However, the prosecutor could not find anything criminal in Foxx’s handling.
Mark Geragos, Smollett’s attorney, responded to Webb’s report.
- 8/18/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Handling of the Jussie Smollett case by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and Chicago Police Department was found to have had “substantial abuses of discretion and operational failures” but no criminal wrongdoing, special prosecutor Dan K. Webb concluded.
In a statement released Monday, Webb said the investigation “did not develop evidence that would support any criminal charges against State’s Attorney [Kimberly M.] Foxx or any individual working at the Ccsao,” despite multiple potential violations of legal ethics and several instances of “false and/or misleading” statements to the public.
Similarly, the investigation found “some examples” of Cpd personnel leaking information to the press, but because the individuals could not be identified, no criminal charges were recommended.
Also Read: Jussie Smollett Emerges From His Own Self-Imposed Isolation to Sing Us a Song (Video)
Webb was appointed special prosecutor by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Toomin last year, and was...
In a statement released Monday, Webb said the investigation “did not develop evidence that would support any criminal charges against State’s Attorney [Kimberly M.] Foxx or any individual working at the Ccsao,” despite multiple potential violations of legal ethics and several instances of “false and/or misleading” statements to the public.
Similarly, the investigation found “some examples” of Cpd personnel leaking information to the press, but because the individuals could not be identified, no criminal charges were recommended.
Also Read: Jussie Smollett Emerges From His Own Self-Imposed Isolation to Sing Us a Song (Video)
Webb was appointed special prosecutor by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Toomin last year, and was...
- 8/17/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
New criminal charges against actor Jussie Smollett do not violate his right against double jeopardy, a Cook County, Illinois judge ruled Friday.
Judge James Linn said the case against Smollett, the former Empire TV star accused of setting up a false claim of assault by two men who uttered racial slurs, will continue.
Smollett claimed to be jumped by two men on the night of Jan. 29, 2019 while seeking to get some food. He claimed the men put a noose around his neck and told him during the assault, “This is Maga county.”
Subsequent investigations revealed he knew his attackers. As a result, he lost his TV job and has since been largely out of the public eye except for his ongoing legal troubles.
Smollett previously agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond and made no admission of wrongdoing in exchange for having 16 charges against him on the phony assault case dropped. The...
Judge James Linn said the case against Smollett, the former Empire TV star accused of setting up a false claim of assault by two men who uttered racial slurs, will continue.
Smollett claimed to be jumped by two men on the night of Jan. 29, 2019 while seeking to get some food. He claimed the men put a noose around his neck and told him during the assault, “This is Maga county.”
Subsequent investigations revealed he knew his attackers. As a result, he lost his TV job and has since been largely out of the public eye except for his ongoing legal troubles.
Smollett previously agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond and made no admission of wrongdoing in exchange for having 16 charges against him on the phony assault case dropped. The...
- 6/12/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Just hours after Jussie Smollett was indicted on new charges related to the alleged January 29, 2019 early morning attack on the streets of Chicago, the former Empire actor’s lawyer lashed out at the Special Prosecutor and the Windy City’s cops for angling for political leverage.
“After more than five months of investigation, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has not found any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal of the charges against Mr. Smollett,” said Tina Glandian today as her client is headed back to court on February 24 to face six counts of disorderly conduct from a grand jury. “Rather, the charges were appropriately dismissed the first time because they were not supported by the evidence,” the attorney added as her client could be looking at renewed jail time if found guilty.
“The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook...
“After more than five months of investigation, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has not found any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal of the charges against Mr. Smollett,” said Tina Glandian today as her client is headed back to court on February 24 to face six counts of disorderly conduct from a grand jury. “Rather, the charges were appropriately dismissed the first time because they were not supported by the evidence,” the attorney added as her client could be looking at renewed jail time if found guilty.
“The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook...
- 2/12/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett was indicted by a special prosecutor in Chicago on Tuesday over a January 2019 attack against the actor, for which he was later of accused of filing a false report.
Tuesday’s indictment, handed out by Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, charged Smollett with six counts of disorderly conduct. Smollett is specifically charged with making “four separate false reports” to the Chicago Police, regarding a Jan. 29, 2019 incident where he claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime.
“Based on the recommendation of the [Office of the Special Prosecutor], a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, knowing that he was not the victim of a crime,” the special prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The Osp later added that it...
Tuesday’s indictment, handed out by Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, charged Smollett with six counts of disorderly conduct. Smollett is specifically charged with making “four separate false reports” to the Chicago Police, regarding a Jan. 29, 2019 incident where he claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime.
“Based on the recommendation of the [Office of the Special Prosecutor], a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, knowing that he was not the victim of a crime,” the special prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The Osp later added that it...
- 2/11/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Over a year after claiming he was attacked on the cold streets of Chicago, Jussie Smollett on Tuesday was indicted by a special prosecutor in the case that the former Empire star probably thought was behind him.
The move by special prosecutor Dan Webb will find Smollett back in court in the Windy City on February 24 to face new criminal charges and potential jail time over the widely covered January 29, 2019 incident. With time behind bars again a possibility, Smollett was indicted today on six counts of disorderly conduct by a Cook County grand jury over falsely reporting the assault.
“Further prosecution of Jussie Smollett is in the interest of justice,” Webb said in a statement Tuesday as news of the indictment leaked out of the County Clerk’s offices.
Appointed back in August, the former U.S. Attorney was tasked with peeling back why the initial charges against Smollett, who...
The move by special prosecutor Dan Webb will find Smollett back in court in the Windy City on February 24 to face new criminal charges and potential jail time over the widely covered January 29, 2019 incident. With time behind bars again a possibility, Smollett was indicted today on six counts of disorderly conduct by a Cook County grand jury over falsely reporting the assault.
“Further prosecution of Jussie Smollett is in the interest of justice,” Webb said in a statement Tuesday as news of the indictment leaked out of the County Clerk’s offices.
Appointed back in August, the former U.S. Attorney was tasked with peeling back why the initial charges against Smollett, who...
- 2/11/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Google has been ordered to turn over a year’s worth of Jussie Smollett’s emails, private messages, photographs and location data to a prosecutor investigating the dismissal of his criminal charges.
The Chicago Tribune reported that it obtained two search warrants submitted by special prosecutor Dan Webb and signed by Cook County Judge Michael Toomin last month ordering the transfer by Google.
The order continues the controversy over the quick dismissal of 16 criminal counts against Smollett by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office. Smollett was accused of 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a January 2019 attack in downtown Chicago, then lying about it to police. He could have faced up to 50 years in prison if convicted on all of the counts.
The resulting outage at the quick dismissal saw Toomin appoint Webb to investigate why Smollett’s conduct, which galvanized the country with its allegations of racial and homophobic hate,...
The Chicago Tribune reported that it obtained two search warrants submitted by special prosecutor Dan Webb and signed by Cook County Judge Michael Toomin last month ordering the transfer by Google.
The order continues the controversy over the quick dismissal of 16 criminal counts against Smollett by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office. Smollett was accused of 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a January 2019 attack in downtown Chicago, then lying about it to police. He could have faced up to 50 years in prison if convicted on all of the counts.
The resulting outage at the quick dismissal saw Toomin appoint Webb to investigate why Smollett’s conduct, which galvanized the country with its allegations of racial and homophobic hate,...
- 1/8/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Continuing the ongoing document and media dumps in the Jussie Smollett case, the Chicago Police have released the audio from the 911 calls made on the night of the alleged hate hoax concocted by the former Empire actor.
In the call, Smollett manager Frank Gatson declined to identify Smolett.
“I just need the police to come by. I work for an artist. I don’t really want to say his name,” Gatson said to 911. “He states he went to Subway … and two guys —somebody jumped him or something like that. I just want to report it and make sure he’s alright.”
Gatson made two calls, the first coming at 2:22 Am, which would make it 20 minutes after Smollett claimed to have been attacked. He later called back to 911 at 2:38 Am to check on the police arrival time. The manager claimed when asked why Smollett didn’t call himself that,...
In the call, Smollett manager Frank Gatson declined to identify Smolett.
“I just need the police to come by. I work for an artist. I don’t really want to say his name,” Gatson said to 911. “He states he went to Subway … and two guys —somebody jumped him or something like that. I just want to report it and make sure he’s alright.”
Gatson made two calls, the first coming at 2:22 Am, which would make it 20 minutes after Smollett claimed to have been attacked. He later called back to 911 at 2:38 Am to check on the police arrival time. The manager claimed when asked why Smollett didn’t call himself that,...
- 6/6/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite speculation about a possible return by Jussie Smollett for the sixth and final season of Empire, the actor’s comeback isn’t happening, according to series co-creator Lee Daniels.
“Jussie will Not be returning to Empire,” Daniels tweeted Tuesday afternoon following reports that the embattled actor’s character Jamal Lyon was being re-worked into scripts for the Fox series.
A well-placed source told Deadline today that Smollett’s ongoing legal issues are partly to blame for him remaining on the sidelines.
“There are still too many unknowns about what really occurred, why the charges were suddenly dropped and the effect it all has had on Empire for the network or the producers to feel Jussie can slip back into the show,” the individual said.
Smollett, who has played Jamal since the music drama debuted in 2015, was written out of the final episodes of Season 5 following his alleged hate crime attack in Chicago on Jan.
“Jussie will Not be returning to Empire,” Daniels tweeted Tuesday afternoon following reports that the embattled actor’s character Jamal Lyon was being re-worked into scripts for the Fox series.
A well-placed source told Deadline today that Smollett’s ongoing legal issues are partly to blame for him remaining on the sidelines.
“There are still too many unknowns about what really occurred, why the charges were suddenly dropped and the effect it all has had on Empire for the network or the producers to feel Jussie can slip back into the show,” the individual said.
Smollett, who has played Jamal since the music drama debuted in 2015, was written out of the final episodes of Season 5 following his alleged hate crime attack in Chicago on Jan.
- 6/5/2019
- by Anita Bennett and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated: “Jussie [Smollett] will Not be returning to ‘Empire,'” series co-creator Lee Daniels said Tuesday.
Daniels was responding to a Variety report in which multiple production sources said that “Empire’s” writing staff was breaking ideas for the show’s sixth and final season with the expectation that Smollett would appear in the back half of the 18-episode season.
This is the first public acknowledgment that Smollett will not return for the final season of the Fox drama series. He was written out of the final episodes of the show’s fifth season following severe backlash stemming from accusations the actor and musician faked a hate crime against himself earlier this year in Chicago.
The same production sources also note tensions were ratcheted up on set between the show’s primarily black cast members, who still believe Smollett is innocent, and the mostly white below-the-line crew, many of whom believe Smollett is guilty.
Daniels was responding to a Variety report in which multiple production sources said that “Empire’s” writing staff was breaking ideas for the show’s sixth and final season with the expectation that Smollett would appear in the back half of the 18-episode season.
This is the first public acknowledgment that Smollett will not return for the final season of the Fox drama series. He was written out of the final episodes of the show’s fifth season following severe backlash stemming from accusations the actor and musician faked a hate crime against himself earlier this year in Chicago.
The same production sources also note tensions were ratcheted up on set between the show’s primarily black cast members, who still believe Smollett is innocent, and the mostly white below-the-line crew, many of whom believe Smollett is guilty.
- 6/4/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx changed her explanation on Friday for her recusal from the Jussie Smollett case, as her office released more than 2,000 pages of documents on the case.
Foxx said she was advised to withdraw from the case based on unfounded rumors that she was related to the “Empire” actor, who was accused of faking a hate crime against himself. That explanation conflicts with the statement her office gave in February, which said she stepped aside due to conversations she had with a Smollett relative about the investigation.
Foxx has faced withering scrutiny over her handling of the case, and has been under pressure to explain why she did not formally recuse her entire office, which would have resulted in the appointment of a special prosecutor. In her statement on Friday, Foxx said the decision was based on a false rumor — not on her own actions...
Foxx said she was advised to withdraw from the case based on unfounded rumors that she was related to the “Empire” actor, who was accused of faking a hate crime against himself. That explanation conflicts with the statement her office gave in February, which said she stepped aside due to conversations she had with a Smollett relative about the investigation.
Foxx has faced withering scrutiny over her handling of the case, and has been under pressure to explain why she did not formally recuse her entire office, which would have resulted in the appointment of a special prosecutor. In her statement on Friday, Foxx said the decision was based on a false rumor — not on her own actions...
- 6/1/2019
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, 1:39 Pm: Federal prosecutors in Chicago have filed a new case against singer R. Kelly, this time charging him with 11 felony counts of sexual assault that carry a maximum of 30 years in prison.
The new charges include four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a victim between the ages of 13 to 16 and two counts each of criminal sexual assault by force and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Kelly, who is free on bond in the earlier case, will be in court June 6 to answer the 11 new counts.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer’s February indictment comprises lower-level felonies that carry a maximum jail term of up to seven years. Read details of that case below.
After those initial charges were filed, Kelly did a wild and wideiy viewed interview with CBS’ Gayle King, in which he screamed, got up and gesticulated,...
The new charges include four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a victim between the ages of 13 to 16 and two counts each of criminal sexual assault by force and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Kelly, who is free on bond in the earlier case, will be in court June 6 to answer the 11 new counts.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer’s February indictment comprises lower-level felonies that carry a maximum jail term of up to seven years. Read details of that case below.
After those initial charges were filed, Kelly did a wild and wideiy viewed interview with CBS’ Gayle King, in which he screamed, got up and gesticulated,...
- 5/30/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Less than a week after a state judge ordered the files in the Jussie Smollett criminal case unsealed, the Chicago Police today made public hundreds and hundreds of heavily redacted pages of investigation reports, gumshoe work and arrest documents, with promise of much more to come in the coming days.
Contained in the selective disbursement is the now ex-Empire actor’s actual arrest report, which bluntly proclaims of the alleged January 29 attack that “through investigation it was determined that the incident, as related by Smollett, did not occur.” With the actor who played the openly gay Jamel Lyon on the hip hop drama soon to be placed in a segregated area, he mugshot attached document adds, “At 0510 hours on 21-Feb-2019, Smollett was read his Miranda warnings with attorney (Redacted) present and declined to answer questions.”
There was no comment from Smollett’s camp on the not unexpected dump by the cops,...
Contained in the selective disbursement is the now ex-Empire actor’s actual arrest report, which bluntly proclaims of the alleged January 29 attack that “through investigation it was determined that the incident, as related by Smollett, did not occur.” With the actor who played the openly gay Jamel Lyon on the hip hop drama soon to be placed in a segregated area, he mugshot attached document adds, “At 0510 hours on 21-Feb-2019, Smollett was read his Miranda warnings with attorney (Redacted) present and declined to answer questions.”
There was no comment from Smollett’s camp on the not unexpected dump by the cops,...
- 5/30/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
A Chicago judge Thursday unsealed documents connected to Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s arrest earlier this year on criminal charges.
Although Smollett got out of the 16-count indictment in late March for allegedly faking a January 29 racial and homophobic attack, Judge Steven Watkins today vehemently disagreed with the contention of the actor and his lawyers that it was necessary to keep the paperwork out of the public eye for privacy reasons.
“Smollett voluntarily appeared on national television speaking about the incident in detail,” the Cook County Circuit Court judge said in his ruling, after media organizations requested the case be made available to the public. “After the March 26 dismissal, he voluntarily stood in front of cameras from numerous news organizations in the courthouse lobby and spoke about the case,” Watkins added in the 10-page document (read it here).
“These are not the actions of a person seeking to maintain his...
Although Smollett got out of the 16-count indictment in late March for allegedly faking a January 29 racial and homophobic attack, Judge Steven Watkins today vehemently disagreed with the contention of the actor and his lawyers that it was necessary to keep the paperwork out of the public eye for privacy reasons.
“Smollett voluntarily appeared on national television speaking about the incident in detail,” the Cook County Circuit Court judge said in his ruling, after media organizations requested the case be made available to the public. “After the March 26 dismissal, he voluntarily stood in front of cameras from numerous news organizations in the courthouse lobby and spoke about the case,” Watkins added in the 10-page document (read it here).
“These are not the actions of a person seeking to maintain his...
- 5/23/2019
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
R. Kelly's ongoing criminal case and assortment of legal issues aren't stopping him from getting action ... at least according to several callers who want it to be known. Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... the hotline Kim Foxx set up in January for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office -- so alleged Kelly victims could report their claims -- is being exploited by folks who want to report something else -- their sexual experiences with him.
- 5/10/2019
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
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