Kaylah Walton
Jussie Smollett, the actor from Empire, has had his hate crime conviction annulled by the Illinois Supreme Court.
This ruling, issued on Thursday, determined that Smollett’s right to a fair trial was compromised after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx initially dismissed all charges, leading to a special prosecutor’s decision to retry the matter.
The court determined that this handling of the case was not consistent with prior legal agreements concerning Smollett.
Public Perception of Injustice
The ruling emphasized that despite the public’s strong feelings regarding the initial outcome, it would be more unjust to disregard agreements that had been relied upon by individuals.
Smollett’s attorney, Nenye Uche, claimed that the case represented a “vindictive pursuit” rather than a fact-based prosecution.
“This was not rooted in facts; it was a vindictive ordeal, and such actions have no place in our legal system,” Uche stated.
Smollett’s Legal Troubles
The actor was found guilty in 2021 for orchestrating a false hate crime and received a sentence that included 150 days in jail in 2022, although he only served a fraction of that time during the appeals process.
The situation began in January 2019 when he alleged to have been attacked by two men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs.
However, investigators later found that Smollett had arranged the incident by paying two men, leading to a lack of evidence for his claims and subsequent arrest.
With the recent overturning of his conviction, Smollett is re-entering public life, maintaining his innocence while condemning the legal actions taken against him.
He has continued his professional pursuits, recently directing the film Lost Holliday, which premiered in September.
Moreover, in late 2023, Smollett began outpatient rehabilitation, which sources indicate has been a long-held desire of his.
