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Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett is appealing his 2021 sentencing on charges related to committing a hate crime, and the Illinois Supreme Court is set to hear his case.
Illinois Supreme Court to hear Smollett's case
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it has agreed to hear Smollett's case, the Associated Press reported. However, no date has been set for when this will actually happen.
Smollett filed a petition last month requesting that the Illinois High Court intervene in his ongoing legal drama after an Illinois appeals court in December upheld his conviction for a fake hate crime.
He was earlier found guilty of five of six charges of disorderly conduct in 2021 after a nearly two-week trial.
RELATED: Jussie Smollett returns to courtroom to enchantment conviction for mendacity about hate crime
Smollett allegedly staged a hate crime
This comes after Smollett, who’s Black and overtly homosexual, claimed in January of 2019 that two males sporting ski masks jumped on him in Chicago. He claimed the boys made racial and homophobic assaults at him and yelled, “That is MAGA nation.” Police investigated Smollett's claims, though they concluded that he had staged a hate crime in opposition to himself by hiring two Nigerian brothers to assault him in hopes of getting the next wage on “Empire”.
After being discovered responsible, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of felony probation, and ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to town of Chicago, in addition to a $25,000 nice. In keeping with KOMO Information, Smollett in the end served solely six days in jail and was launched pending an enchantment.
Nevertheless, Smollett now needs the conviction overturned.
“What ought to have been an easy case has been sophisticated by a mix of politics and public outcry,” Smollett's attorneys mentioned in a February submitting, in response to Fox Information.
RELATED: Jussie Smollett probably to return to jail after Illinois appeals courtroom upholds conviction
Appeals courtroom upholds Smollett's conviction
Sadly for Smollett, an Illinois appeals courtroom upheld his conviction in December.
“Right here, no trial by the State on the indictment was a last disposition of the case,” the courtroom mentioned, in response to CNN.
The courtroom additional said, “Subsequently, the State will not be estopped from retrying Smollett.” “After getting into Nolle Proseci, Smollett was free to go with out getting into recognition to seem at every other time, which is the deal Smollett made.”
Particular Prosecutor Dan. Of. Webb praised the appeals courtroom for upholding the choice.
Webb mentioned, “Because the appellate courtroom famous, Mr. Smollett challenged just about each facet of the prosecution, and the appellate courtroom appropriately rejected all of these challenges.” “At present’s verdict is a vindication of Winston & Strawn’s tireless work on this case and a convincing victory for justice.”
He added, “We’re proud to have achieved a victory on this case that we imagine might help restore public confidence within the Cook dinner County justice system.”
Many imagine that Smollett tried to capitalize on the racial and political divisions on this nation for his private acquire. One can solely hope that the Illinois Supreme Court docket will uphold Smollett's conviction, and that he’ll in the end serve the total jail sentence he deserves.
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