The former “Empire” actor who was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago police in January of 2019 is petitioning the Illinois Supreme Court to hear his case.
TV actor Jussie Smollett stands before Cook County Circuit Judge Steven Watkins on March 14, 2019, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago, where he pled not guilty.Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune Nenye Uche, center, a defense attorney for Jussie Smollett, speaks to the media outside the Cook County Jail in Chicago on March 16, 2022, after his client was released pending an appeal.
Actor Jussie Smollett is led out of the courtroom after being sentenced to jail time on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Judge James Linn reads his sentence for actor Jussie Smollett on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Actor Jussie Smollett speaks to Judge James Linn after his sentence is read on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Actor Jussie Smollett listens as his sentence is read during a hearing on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Actor Jussie Smollett and his attorneys listen as his sentence is read on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Special prosecutor Dan Webb speaks during a sentencing hearing for actor Jussie Smollett on March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Relatives of Jussie Smollett leave the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 10, 2022, after Smollett was sentenced to serve jail time for his felony conviction.Special prosecutor Dan Webb speaks to the media inside the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 10, 2022, after Jussie Smollett was sentenced to serve jail time for his felony conviction.Actor Jussie Smollett appears with his attorneys at his sentencing hearing, March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Deputy special prosecutor Sam Mendenhall speaks during a sentencing hearing for actor Jussie Smollett on March 10, 2022 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Tina Glandian, attorney for actor Jussie Smollett, speaks at his sentencing hearing, March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Actor Jussie Smollett appears with his attorneys at his sentencing hearing, March 10, 2022, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Judge James Linn speaks during a sentencing hearing for actor Jussie Smollett on Thursday, March 10, 2022 at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Prosecutor Dan Webb, center, arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court House in advance of the sentencing hearing for former Empire actor Jussie Smollett on March 10, 2022.Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court House flanked by family members in advance of his sentencing hearing on March 10, 2022.Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Dec. 9, 2021, after he was found guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges for allegedly giving false information to Chicago police about an alleged racial and homophobic attack on him in January 2019.Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Dec. 9, 2021, after he was found guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges for allegedly giving false information to Chicago police about an alleged racial and homophobic attack in January 2019.Special prosecutor Dan Webb speaks to the press, Dec. 9, 2021, after former"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges for allegedly giving false information to Chicago police about an alleged racial and homophobic attack in January 2019.Defense attorney Nenye Uche speaks to the press after former"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges on Dec. 9, 2021.Former"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett enters the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Dec. 9, 2021, in Chicago where he was found guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges for allegedly giving false information to Chicago police about an alleged racial and homophobic attack in January 2019.Special prosecutor Dan Webb, center, arrives for the Jussie Smollett verdict at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Dec. 9, 2021.Jussie Smollett arrives with his family to the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Dec. 8, 2021. Smollett is accused of faking an attack on himself in Chicago 3 years ago.Special prosecutor Dan Webb, center, arrives for the Jussie Smollett trial at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Dec. 8, 2021.Special prosecutor Dan Webb arrives for the Jussie Smollett trial at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Dec. 7, 2021.Jussie Smollett defense attorney Nenye Uche arrives for Smollett's trial at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Dec. 7, 2021.In this courtroom sketch, actor Jussie Smollett takes the stand in his own defense, Dec. 6, 2021, at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago TribuneFrom left, Abimbola"Abel" Osundairo, one of the brothers connected to the alleged staged hate crime involving Jussie Smollett, his attorney Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, and Osundairo's brother Olabinjo Osundairo, walk outside the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Dec. 2, 2021.Abimbola"Abel" Osundairo, one of the brothers connected to the alleged staged hate crime involving Jussie Smollett, and his attorney Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez walk through the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Dec. 1, 2021 in Chicago.Jussie Smollett looks back as he arrives with his family to the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Nov. 30, 2021. Smollett is accused of faking an attack on himself in Chicago three years ago.Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune Jussie Smollett walks outside the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Nov. 29, 2021. Earlier in the day, a jury was selected for the trial of the former"Empire" actor who is accused of commissioning a fake hate crime on himself three years ago to boost his career.Actor Jussie Smollett arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Nov. 29, 2021, ahead of jury selection for his trial.Actor Jussie Smollett arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Nov. 29, 2021, ahead of jury selection for his trial.Jussie Smollett enters the Leighton Criminal Court Building on July 14, 2021, in Chicago. Judge James Linn is expected to hear testimony about whether one of Smollett's would-be attorneys, Nenye Uche, has a conflict of interest that could disqualify him from representing the actor in his hot-button criminal case.Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune Jussie Smollett departs amid a crush of cameras after a court appearance Feb. 24, 2020, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Jussie Smollett's attorney Tina Glandian speaks to the media after a court appearance Feb. 24, 2020, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Attorney Gloria Schmidt speaks for brothers Olabinjo Osundairo, far right, and Abimbola Osundairo after attending a court appearance for Jussie Smollett on Feb. 24, 2020.Brothers Olabinjo Osundairo, left, and Abimbola Osundairo depart after attending a court appearance for Jussie Smollett on Feb. 24, 2020, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Jussie Smollett appears for a hearing where his case was assigned to a judge Feb. 24, 2020, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.Special prosecutor Dan Webb at a hearing during which Jussie Smollett's case was assigned to a judge Feb. 24, 2020.Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, center, arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his arraignment on Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago.Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, second from right, arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his arraignment on Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago. Smollett faces charges that he made false statements to police regarding a staged homophobic and racist attack in Chicago last year.Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, center right, arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his arraignment on Feb. 24, 2020.Photographers covering former Empire actor Jussie Smollett, fourth from left, fall as Smollett arrives to the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his arraignment on Feb. 24, 2020, in Chicago.Jussie Smollett walks out to speak to the media after all charges against him are dropped at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 26, 2019.Former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb takes the oath of special prosecutor during a status hearing concerning actor Jussie Smollett at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Aug. 23, 2019.Former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb speaks to media following a status hearing concerning actor Jussie Smollett at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Aug. 23, 2019.Sheila O'Brien, a former appellate judge pressing to probe the state's attorney's office, gestures while walking through the Leighton Criminal Court Building on May 23, 2019, in Chicago. She called the judge's decision unsealing the court file a good first step.Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, left, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speak during a news conference to react to the dropping of charges against actor Jussie Smollett by the Cook County state's attorney's office on March 26, 2019.Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building after all charges were dropped in his disorderly conduct case on March 26, 2019.Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building after all charges were dropped in his disorderly conduct case on March 26, 2019.Jussie Smollett is surrounded by the media as he waits for his car to pick him up after all charges against him are dropped at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 26, 2019.Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building after all charges were dropped in his disorderly conduct case on March 26, 2019.Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building after all charges were dropped in his disorderly conduct case on March 26, 2019.Actor Jussie Smollett, center, waves as he walks out of the Leighton Criminal Court Building after all charges were dropped in his disorderly conduct case on March 26, 2019.Jussie Smollett, the"Empire" star who has been charged for lying to police about an alleged fabricated attack, speaks to the media after all charges against him are dropped at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 26, 2019.Jussie Smollett, third from left, walks out to speak to the media after all charges against him are dropped at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 26, 2019.Jussie Smollett speaks to the media after all charges against him are dropped at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 26, 2019.Jussie Smollett gestures to supporters who chant for him as he arrives for a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 14, 2019.Jussie Smollett supporter Sandra Gentry, of Chicago, chants as Smollett arrives for a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on March 14, 2019.Jussie Smollett enters the Leighton Criminal Court Building, March 12, 2019, for a hearing on whether cameras will be allowed in the courtroom on the criminal charges he faces.Jussie Smollett enters the Leighton Criminal Court Building, March 12, 2019, for a hearing on whether cameras will be allowed in the courtroom on the criminal charges he faces.Actor Jussie Smollett peeks from behind a bodyguard as he leaves the Cook County Jail with his legal team after posting bond on Feb. 21, 2019.In this courtroom sketch,"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, appears in from before Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. with his attorney Jack Prior at Cook County Court, Feb. 21, 2019, in Chicago. Smollett has made his first court appearance on charges that he falsely reported being beaten by two men last month in downtown Chicago. The judge set bond at $100,000, meaning that Smollett must post $10,000 to be released. Police say the 36-year-old actor staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself because he was unhappy about his salary and wanted to promote his career. Smollett said little during the hearing, except to state his name.Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks about the details of the arrest and charges of Jussie Smollett at Chicago police headquarters on Feb. 21, 2019. Pictured on the right is chief of detectives, Melissa Staples.A light shines on the door of a residence that was served with a search warrant in the investigation of the attack on actor Jussie Smollett in the Streeterville neighborhood, Feb. 14, 2019, in Chicago.A surveillance camera is seen near the spot where"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett allegedly staged an attack in Chicago. Chicago police tapped into a vast network of surveillance cameras _ and some homeowners' doorbell cameras _ to help determine the identities of two brothers who later claimed they were paid by"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to stage a racist and homophobic attack.Chicago police released surveillance images of"potential persons of interest'' they want to question about an alleged attack on"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Streeterville. The pictures show two people walking down the street near where Smollett said two men approached him early Jan. 29, 2019, yelled racial and homophobic slurs, hit him and wrapped a rope around his neck. The images are dark and do not show any attack.Actor Jussie Smollett, left, a 2019 inductee of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, with Rep. Frederica S. Wilson and actor and humanitarian Danny Glover, who was also a 2019 inductee.Actors Jussie Smollett, left, and Terrence Howard attend the 2018 Fox Network Upfront at Wollman Rink in New York on May 14, 2018.Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence.The former “Empire” actor who was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago police in January of 2019 is petitioning the Illinois Supreme Court to hear his case after a lower appellate court in December The move marks the next step as Smollett works to exhaust all his appeal options after a jury in 2021 convicted him on five of six counts of disorderly conduct. He wasSmollett’s attorneys filed the petition to the high court on Monday, arguing that the questions raised by the case have the “potential for wide-reaching implications” across Illinois. The court has the discretion to decide whether to take the case, or leave the appellate court’s decision in effect. The appeals court in a 2-1 decision largely rejected a lengthy laundry list of alleged violations in the case handled by special prosecutor Dan Webb after the Cook County state’s attorney’s office controversially dropped all charges. Smollett had argued that the original dismissal constituted a resolution in the case, given that he forfeited the $10,000 he posted for bail. Therefore, he has argued, the subsequent trial and conviction violated his double jeopardy rights. The court, with one justice dissenting, ruled that Cook County prosecutors’ decision to drop charges did not constitute a non-prosecution agreement with Smollett. Justice Freddrenna Lyle disagreed, arguing that “Smollett gave up something of value, community service and bond forfeiture, in exchange for a nolle of the whole indictment.” Smollett’s petition to the Supreme Court argues that the lower court’s opinion “threatens to upend all informal and formal deferred prosecution agreements.” “What should have been a straightforward case has been complicated by the intersection of politics and public outrage,” the petition says. In the early hours of Jan. 29, 2019, Smollett reported to Chicago police officers that two men attacked him in the Loop, hitting him, yelling homophobic slurs and placing a noose around his neck. But in a twist that drew frenzied international attention, prosecutors charged Smollett the following month with disorderly conduct for concocting the hoax with brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who testified that he paid them to perpetrate the attack. About a month after prosecutors charged Smollett, they dropped all counts against him noting that he forfeited his $10,000 bond and had done community service. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx previously handed the case to deputies, saying she had recused herself. Former Cook County Judge Michael Toomin appointed Webb, a former U.S. attorney, as special prosecutor amid scrutiny around the decision. Webb later refiled the charges.H-1B: Bad luck in the skilled-worker visa lottery pushes workers from Silicon Valley and other U.S. regions to Canada
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