Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

[Khayembii Communique]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

 

[mike2810]

From the OP linked article:
"The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said Tuesday that after reviewing the case, Smollett's volunteer service and his willingness to turn his bond over to the city, "we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.""

- One reason why I tend to wait till the investigation and process has run its course before coming to conclusion.
My take, the prosecutors most likely didn't feel it was worth the court cost and time to proceed.

 

[chuckiechan]

From the OP linked article:
"The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said Tuesday that after reviewing the case, Smollett's volunteer service and his willingness to turn his bond over to the city, "we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.""

- One reason why I tend to wait till the investigation and process has run its course before coming to conclusion.
My take, the prosecutors most likely didn't feel it was worth the court cost and time to proceed.

That was about what I predicted. A stupid crime by a young first time offender with money, black, gay, and all the boxes checked.

But certainly some money has changed hands. It's the Chicago way.

 

[PoS]

Whaa? they should have gone after him nonetheless.

 

[Lutherf]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

Here's my theory....

The Chicago PD set the whole thing up to destroy Juicy's career and the AG is covering for them. In the end this will all be turned into a Netflix series starring Juicy.

 

[Grim17]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

Since when does an innocent man forfeit his bond?

.

 

[Grim17]

Here's my theory....

The Chicago PD set the whole thing up to destroy Juicy's career and the AG is covering for them. In the end this will all be turned into a Netflix series starring Juicy.

I read the Chicago chief of police is furious.

 

[kitsune]

So what about those guys who allegedly beat him up? Does this mean there was no collusion?

 

[chuckiechan]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

One other thing, the FBI should investigate to see who violated who's rights. Either the police and the DA made it all up, violating Smollet's rights, or someone got paid off violating the public's rights to equal justice.

It's not fishy that they let him off, I never though they would do much to him but a token fine and a weekend entertaining kids or something, but his is actually worse. Now everyone assumes he paid off the city.

 

[Dittohead not!]

His career is toast regardless of whether he's being prosecuted.

 

[Lutherf]

I read the Chicago chief of police is furious.

I can only imagine.

 

[Bucky]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

I think the state should reward him money when we catch those racists white trump supporters that beat him up.

 

[Xelor]

Ruefully, several comments here have focused on one or another aspect of connivery being afoot rather than on the matter's lack of prosecutorial merit or innocence of the defendant. I mean, really. The charges were dismissed; this isn't a plea deal, which means Jussie can now sue the state/city for a host of things such as false arrest, slander/libel, etc.

Moreover, the case has been sealed; thus whatever evidence the Chicago PD and state's attorney gathered will never be shared/known, and the state cannot use whatever evidence it (cops and prosecutors) gathered to defend itself should Smollett file suit. That's quite a big deal legally because in some states (I don't know if IL is one of them) sealing the case effectively says:

• The state has nothing criminally probative.
• The defendant is innocent.
• It'd be inappropriate to allow the information we (the state) have into the public sphere where it may do more harm than good."

Based on what I've thus far read, the immediate sealing of the Smollett case necessarily means the case was "dismissed without prejudice."

Some grounds for dismissal include:

• lack of probable cause to arrest,
• an improper criminal complaint or charging document,
• an illegal stop or search,
• lack of evidence to prove the defendant committed the crime,
• an unavailable witness who is necessary to prove defendant committed the crime, and
• loss of evidence necessary to prove defendant committed the crime.

According to the interview Smollett's attorney gave (~42:44 in the video below), it was not true that the $3500 Smollett paid them was for staging the attack.

​

 

[sangha]

Since when does an innocent man forfeit his bond?

.

Since Michael Cohen was convicted for doing something that isn't a crime

 

[Xelor]

Mayor Rahm Emmanuel is on TV saying that the grand jury opted to indict based on having seen but "a sliver of the evidence." I have no doubt the grand jury saw but a "sliver" of the evidence, the sliver that made Smollett look guilty. After all, prosecutors don't present exculpatory evidence to grand juries.

Chicago's mayor and police superintendent can say whatever they want, but the fact remains that the case was dismissed and a judge allowed that to transpire. Moreover, the prosecution agreed not only to dismissal, but also to expungement of the record. Expungement! That's essentially saying the Chicago PD and grand jury "majorly" effed up.

Prosecutors could have done a whole lot of things -- plea deal, step-down charges, deferred prosecution, etc. -- other than dismissing the charges, things that at least indicated there was some measure of merit to the 16 charges filed against Smollett, some merit to the Chicago PD's having arrested Smollett, and they did none of them. And they felt their own case was so lame that they agreed to seal the case. Given a private citizen's presumption of innocence, and that Smollett isn't a a public official thus there's no public/fiduciary trust component to Smollett's actions, and that Smollett pled not guilty and from day one maintained his innocence, there's simply no other way, based on the way the matter has concluded, to credibly assert anything other than that.

 

[Roadvirus]

That was about what I predicted. A stupid crime by a young first time offender with money, black, gay, and all the boxes checked.

But certainly some money has changed hands. It's the Chicago way.

Yeah. There had to be someone peddling their influence in this.
When you have the CPD Chief and Rahm Emanuel worked up, you know there's some **** going down in the background.

 

[Deuce]

CPD has enough history of shady **** that I am absolutely not surprised here.

 

[akyron]

I think the state should reward him money when we catch those racists white trump supporters that beat him up.

Chicago news may report they are driving down the freeway in a white bronco any minute with old football friends.

 

[Mason66]

Ruefully, several comments here have focused on one or another aspect of connivery being afoot rather than on the matter's lack of prosecutorial merit or innocence of the defendant. I mean, really. The charges were dismissed; this isn't a plea deal, which means Jussie can now sue the state/city for a host of things such as false arrest, slander/libel, etc.

Moreover, the case has been sealed; thus whatever evidence the Chicago PD and state's attorney gathered will never be shared/known, and the state cannot use whatever evidence it (cops and prosecutors) gathered to defend itself should Smollett file suit. That's quite a big deal legally because in some states (I don't know if IL is one of them) sealing the case effectively says:

• The state has nothing criminally probative.
• The defendant is innocent.
• It'd be inappropriate to allow the information we (the state) have into the public sphere where it may do more harm than good."

Based on what I've thus far read, the immediate sealing of the Smollett case necessarily means the case was "dismissed without prejudice."

Some grounds for dismissal include:

• lack of probable cause to arrest,
• an improper criminal complaint or charging document,
• an illegal stop or search,
• lack of evidence to prove the defendant committed the crime,
• an unavailable witness who is necessary to prove defendant committed the crime, and
• loss of evidence necessary to prove defendant committed the crime.

According to the interview Smollett's attorney gave (~42:44 in the video below), it was not true that the $3500 Smollett paid them was for staging the attack.

​

Did you not see the part where he turned his bond over to the state?

There was no innocence there, and that was the plea deal.

 

[Xelor]

Did you not see the part where he turned his bond over to the state?

There was no innocence there, and that was the plea deal.

Red:
Insofar as you think there was a plea deal, please provide a link to the plea agreement.

 

[Mason66]

Red:
Insofar as you think there was a plea deal, please provide a link to the plea agreement.

What would you call it?

The state made a deal with him to dispose of the case.

Call it what you like, he was not innocent.

 

[Moderate Right]

Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against 'Empire' actor

In a stunning reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett just weeks after he was indicted on 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.


Smollett, 36, was seen arriving at a Chicago courtroom around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday for an emergency hearing. Following his court appearance, his attorneys released a statement saying that the actor's "record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."


Jussie Smollet case: Chicago prosecutors drop all charges against '''Empire''' actor

______

Looks like the entire criminal complaint was BS. Wonder who he'll sue for the damage to his reputation.

Your blind partisanship knows no bounds. I will say this, for once in my life I agree with Rahm Emanuel.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasted the decision, saying the $10,000 bond "doesn't come close to what the city spent in resources" in investigating Smollett's claims.

Emanuel accused Smollett of using hate-crime legislation to “self-promote” his career.

“This is a whitewash of justice,” Emanuel said. “Where is the accountability in the system?”

 

[Ouroboros]

That was about what I predicted. A stupid crime by a young first time offender with money, black, gay, and all the boxes checked.

But certainly some money has changed hands. It's the Chicago way.

If he's charged over the mail fraud, that will be two offenses, though the fraud happened before the hoax.

 

[Ouroboros]

So what about those guys who allegedly beat him up? Does this mean there was no collusion?

I'm guessing that the deal lets them off the hook too, but so far have not heard anything about the disposition of the Nigerians.

 

[Ouroboros]

His career is toast regardless of whether he's being prosecuted.

Not if Hollywood can convince themselves that he's the victim of some terrible conspiracy.