The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned the conviction against actor Jussie Smollett for falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago police in 2019. The court ruled that Smollett should not have been charged after entering a nonprosecution agreement with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Smollett was sentenced in 2022 to 150 days in jail and 30 months’ probation for five counts of felony disorderly conduct related to the case.
Smollett initially told police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019, claiming he was attacked because he is Black and gay. However, the Chicago Police Department later said that Smollett staged the attack and recruited two brothers to help. Charges against Smollett were initially dropped by the Cook County State Attorney’s Office after he agreed to turn over his bond to the city and engage in community service.
The decision to drop the charges was criticized by Chicago Police Department’s leadership and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel. A special prosecutor later revived the case and charged Smollett again, leading to his trial, where he maintained his innocence. The Osundairo brothers testified that Smollett paid them to stage the attack, while Smollett’s defense argued that the brothers were taking advantage of him for financial gain. Ultimately, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett’s conviction citing prosecutorial issues and the nonprosecution agreement. Smollett continues to deny staging the attack.
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