Jussie Smollet Trial: Jury Reaches Verdict

The Jussie Smollet trial has captived the nation for some time now, and it’s being reported that the jury has reached a verdict. The former Empire actor is charged with lying about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. He was formally was charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report, per ABC News, and the jury found the actor found guilty on 5 out of 6 charges. Sentencing for the conviction will likely be set for a later date.

Smollet’s defense team rested their case on Tuesday, arguing that the two men who were also implicated in the incident, Abimbola and Ola Osundairo, were lying about being friends who Smollet paid to help him carry out the fake attack plan. The jury deliberated for three hours on Wednesday and then resumed on Thursday. In 2019, Smollett claimed that two men violently attacked him on the street outside his apartment in the city, resulting in a hospital trip to be treated for his wounds. He was later charged by police for allegedly fabricating the story, which he and his legal team have vehemently denied. The charges against Smollett were initially dropped by the state Attorney General, but new charges came after a judge found the prosecution’s decision to be invalid.

The Chicago Tribune later reported that Smollett’s lawyers filed the necessary paperwork with the state’s high court, motioning that the new indictment be dismissed on the grounds of double-jeopardy. However, they were not successful in having the case thrown out. Following the initially dropped charges, Smollett’s attorney’s released a statement, saying, “Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by 2 people he was unable to identify on January 29th.”

“He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public, causing an inappropriate rush to judgment,” the statement continued. “Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result,” the statement concluded.