Jussie Smollett returns to court for MAGA ‘hate crime’ hoax conviction.
Jussie Smollett Back in Court After Being Convicted of MAGA ‘Hate Crime’ Hoax
Jussie Smollett, the actor convicted of orchestrating a “hate crime” against himself in 2019, appeared in an Illinois appellate court on Tuesday, seeking to have his convictions overturned.
“Public outrage against the defendant cannot overrule the rule of law,” said one of Smollett’s lawyers, Nenye Uche.
If the appeal fails, Smollett will have to finish serving a 150-day jail sentence imposed in 2022.
According to USA Today, Smollett’s lawyers argued in his written appeal that his 2021 trial “violated his Fifth Amendment protections against double jeopardy — being punished for the same crime twice.”
They said Smollett had already performed community service and forfeited a $10,000 bond as part of a 2019 agreement with prosecutors to drop initial charges.
“If Mr. Smollett’s convictions are allowed to stand, this case will set a dangerous precedent by giving prosecutors a second bite at the apple any time there is dissatisfaction with another prosecutor’s exercise of discretion,” Smollett’s appeal says.
In January 2019, Smollett reported to police that two men had attacked him, yelling racist and “homophobic” slurs and proclaiming that downtown Chicago was “MAGA country.”
The men were later identified as Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, brothers whom Smollett knew from their time working together on the television show “Empire.”
The brothers testified during Smollett’s trial that the actor had paid them to attack him.
Smollett was convicted on five of six felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police.
Source:
Jussie Smollett Back in Court After Being Convicted of MAGA ‘Hate Crime’ Hoax
Published on The Western Journal.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...