Jussie Smollett’s Conviction Is Overturned for Staged Attack on Himself | Billboard News - video Dailymotion

Jussie Smollet’s conviction of his staged attack on himself from 2019 is overturned. Keep watching for the full story.

Transcript

00:00The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor-singer Jussie Smollett's conviction

00:04on allegations that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown

00:08Chicago and then lied to police in 2019.

00:11In 2021, the Empire actor was convicted of five felony accounts of disorderly conduct

00:16for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself and was sentenced to 150 days in county

00:21jail.

00:22Smollett has always maintained his innocence.

00:24He has testified that there is no hoax.

00:27We caught up with him in the studio earlier in September where he shared this.

00:45That same month, the court heard an appeal that argued that a special prosecutor should

00:50not have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state attorneys initially dropped

00:55charges.

00:56In May, according to the Chicago Tribune, Smollett's conviction is overturned.

00:59Billboard received a statement from Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb regarding Illinois

01:04Supreme Court's reversal of convictions and sentence of Jussie Smollett.

01:08We respectfully disagree with the court's factual and legal reasoning, which upends

01:12long-standing Illinois precedent.

01:14We have also heard from Smollett's lawyer, Ninie Unce.

01:17This is not a prosecution based on facts, rather it was a vindictive prosecution and

01:21such a proceeding has no place in our criminal justice system.

01:24Ultimately, we are pleased that the rule of law was the big winner today.

01:27We are thankful to the Illinois Supreme Court for restoring order to Illinois' criminal

01:32justice, Judge Prudence.

01:33Stay tuned for more updates here at Billboard.