Jussie Smollett and his attorneys showed up to an Illinois appellate court Tuesday demanding that the courts toss the former “Empire” actor’s convictions after staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to Chicago police! According to The Associated Press, his lawyers argued that anger over the case led to properly dismissed charges being improperly restored.
Smollett was in attendance for the hearing today but didn’t speak. The actor sat and listened to arguments that last about a hour long on Tuesday. Smollett refused to speak to reporters are the hearing but during the arguments his lawyer, Nenye Uche, told the panel “Public outrage against the defendant cannot overrule the rule of law.” Uche also added that many of the issues that came about after the appeal and Smollett’s prosecution boil down to one question: “Is it fair?”
RELATED: Jussie Smollett Appeals His 150-Day Jail Sentence in Hate Crime Hoax
Now if this hearing doesn’t work in Smollett’s favor then the Chicago-based First District Appellate Court will demand Smollett to finish his 150-day sentence in jail that his trial judge ordered during his 2022 sentencing. As we previously reported, Smollett spent just six days in jail before his release pending the outcome of the appeal. A ruling is expected to take several weeks.
In late January 2019, Jussie Smollett claimed that he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago. He reported that he had been physically assaulted by two individuals who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him, poured a chemical substance (later revealed to be bleach) on him, and placed a noose around his neck. Smollett also said that the attackers shouted support for then-President Donald Trump during the assault.
RELATED: Jussie Smollett Insists He Did Not Lie About Homophobic Racist Attack
he Chicago Police Department launched an investigation into the alleged hate crime, which garnered widespread media attention and public sympathy. However, as the investigation progressed, there were inconsistencies in Smollett’s story. Police began to suspect that the attack might have been staged. In February 2019, Smollett was arrested and charged with filing a false police report, a felony in Illinois. The charges against him alleged that he had paid two acquaintances to stage the attack in an effort to gain publicity and advance his career.
The Jussie Smollett controversy remains a highly debated and polarizing topic, with opinions divided on whether justice was served and what exactly transpired during the alleged hate crime incident.
The post Should It Be Thrown Out? Illinois Appeals Court Hears Arguments On Jussie Smollett’s Request To Toss Convictions appeared first on Hollywood Unlocked .