“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”
This preposterous defense was once used to acquit Keith Richards of heroin possession. His lawyer said 'my client is rich and doesn't need to steal to support his habit' and the court threw out the case.
Moral to society: It's better to commit non-violent crimes than violent ones but in either case, be sure to be rich and things will probably go your way.
4
Odd turn of events but at the same time he is just a kid with some obvious problems. I don’t think the world will collapse because the book wasn’t thrown at Smollett.
It's laughable that Chicago PD has the nerve to be angry that charges were dropped considering Chicago PD has gotten away with white supremacist slayings of people of color since their inception. How many cops are acquitted or never even brought charges? They can get over it.
4
Imagine that. A person of color getting off the hook. Chicago white privilege will never be the same.
4
It takes more than $10,000 to get a case broomed, even in Chicago. I wonder where the rest of the money came from.
4
This is textbook case in perception: the charges were outrageous! The charges weren’t enough! There were so many charges because he’s black, they’d be lighter if he were white! The charges were dropped because he’s rich and famous(ish)! Blame the victim! He’s not a victim!
I hate the phrase “identity politics”, but the reaction to the Jussie Smollet incident is the proverbial “if the shoe fits”. One commenter wants Smollet’s “gay card” pulled. Some seem to want him judged solely through the lens of his race, some through the lens of his relative wealth. Most seem to accept his guilt. (Innocent until proven...oh, never mind.)
I think the City of Chicago and CPD deserve credit for taking the initial charges of an attack seriously and then following where the evidence led. The overarching message to all is that they take hate crimes seriously (let’s hope across the entire spectrum of race and wealth), and they’re trying to respond to the black and gay communities. They also take seriously the abuse of the department to forward a personal agenda.
2
If Fox takes him back I will never watch another 21st Century Fox production.
This remorseless egotist should be shunned forceternity
4
It's surreal. Two high profile investigations ending in the accused claiming exoneration in a week.
2
I understand the prosecutor's decision to forgo a trial as I don't believe Smollett is a threat to public safety. However, many are not threats to public safety, until they are. If they hadn't found out what really happened, how many protests would there have been, how much destruction of property or bystanders harmed? Seems that hate crimes are only leveled against white people, and if it's the reverse, we just look away.
Maybe we could stop making everything that we don't like a 'hate crime.'
4
This is Democratic Socialism in action. Belong to a couple of special identity groups, have some celebrity status, and know some high-level sympathetic politicians. Then it's goody-goody-good-good to go!
Thanks Kimsy; you can keep that $10,000 tip. All the publicity that I received in exchange was worth every penny and so much more. But, I still have to pay my darn attorney - maybe GoFundMe or one of R. Kelley's benefactors can help me out with that expense.
With those silly tendentious felony charges dropped, I feel as though I have been exonerated - I believe I can fly, but not on a Boeing 737 Max, not until Boeing finds a full proof software fix. It feels so gosh darn good to beat the system, even if it's only crooked and corrupt Cook County, Illinois!
6
no, mr. smollett isn't roaming the streets of chicago killing people, but even the outlandish overcharging can't justify this result. and if cook county DA's office feels its conduct has been so circumspect and this outcome is routine, why seal the records?
2
The article should have discussed more about whether he could still be charged with federal crimes for allegedly mailing himself powder.
3
Most of the views here reflect the TV show notion of how justice works rather than the reality. (See: Misdemeanorland by Issa Kohler-Hausman.) The vast majority of cases are resolved without trial. In New York City, about half of misdemeanor cases (with up to one year's imprisonment) are dismissed without any attempt to adjudicate the facts - but usually with conditions attached such as community service or entry into some sort of program such as drug treatment. I would not be surprised if the same were true in Chicago. If so, the Smollett resolution would be typical, not unusual.
My impression from the beginning was that Smollett's story was fishy. Still, the sputtering rage and assumption of guilt in so many of the comments here is a bit surprising. It is not like people have never made false statements to the police and not been charged. See: Tawana Brawley.
1
@Jeffrey Gallup
"In New York City, about half of misdemeanor cases (with up to one year's imprisonment) are dismissed without any attempt to adjudicate the facts."
Yes, but Smollett was charged with multiple felonies.
6
Cases like this remind me of the old Lenny Bruce quip: “in the halls of justice, the only justice is in the halls.”
1
Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff intervened on Smollett’s behalf. Do you think she did that on her own or was there a Michelle Obama prompt? The whole thing smells and this is what you get when you get Obama Chicagoans in high places in public office- beware of these people.
And by the way, Jesse has better toe the line in the Windy City because if you don’t thinkvthe police will be watching him then you are very naive.
5
if blacks can get away with murder and false accusations, they seem pretty equal to whites then. what's all the fuss?
5
Unfair, unjust and down right despicable; shame on you Jussie.
In my book you are a disgrace.
4
People in Chicago and appalled about the charges being dropped.
Where is the outrage about Labor Secretary Alex Acosta violating victims' rights and letting serial sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein get a 13-month sentence back when Acosta was the DA in Miami???
1
We have a president who lies each and every day. This really affects our lives, our democracy, our alliances and the planet's future. And still we go on as if nothing happens.
4
Where was Rahm Emmanuel’s righteous indignation when he refused to release the Laquan McDonald video? What about the rendition of detainees at Holman Square where they were denied access to attorneys during Emmanuel’s term? What about Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge accused of torturing 200 suspects, many with live electric wires placed on their genitals to force confessions? Burge was allowed to retire with his pension. I don’t trust anything that Emmanuel and the Chicago police have to say, and I expect better reporting about the nature of the Chicago PD by The New York Times.
4
@KVS68
Thank you. Not one member of the media had the guts to raise those issues when he displayed his racist indignation. The media is pretending the Chicago pd is some well regarded entity instead of a corrupt violent and obviously incompetent gang.
I still say the prosecutor backed away when Smollet "s attorney decided to televise the trial. The incompetence of the police and the lack of evidence would have been on display.
3
Prosecutor took a bribe
6
Community service and forfeit of $10k is hardly punishment for an publicity-hound Hollywood elite...Lady Justice with her unused dull sword is not only blind but just plain stupid!
6
In this day and age, as seen every day, if you are an honest person who takes responsibility for your actions, you are in the minority. And considered a shmuck!
4
I’m not a “law and order” kind of person anymore after witnessing first hand for decades how police investigations and DA charges are so imbalanced, implicit and explicitly biased that none of us should trust these two systems.
Think Kavanaugh. He now sits on the Supreme Court along with Clarence Thomas. There are thousand of others like them serving as DAs and Judges. Think of the chiefs of police investigated and ousted all across this nation for running corrupt departments engaged in falsifying evidence and brutal aggression on the streets.
If there was evidence supporting the 16 charges, Smollett would not be freed, with all charges dropped and his record expunged. Smollett never changed his story. He never admitted to faking the incident.
But so many are willing to find any excuse to blame him the victim. We all should be asking ourselves why we prefer to have such low opinions about victims and high opinions about a failed criminal justice system that needs major reform.
Oh did we forget that last part? Or is our opinion that some deserve justice and too many don’t deserve it at all. Smollett was never allowed to be innocent victim. The police judged him as a suspicious criminal from the beginning. Guilty until proven innocent was their guide.
Americans lack discernment. Americans trust gut feelings that are more often wrong than right. This has made the pursuit of justice more about criminalization than equal, fair or just.
We’re disconnected, jaded and mean.
3
Someone here just wrote "His career is over." Are you kidding? TV shows will be clamoring for this guy to appear anywhere and everywhere- ratings will go through the roof. And advertisers love that. He is a rich, spoiled, elitist victim of an 'attack on black gay progressive culture.' In these times what is there not to like? We progressives have brought these scenarios on ourselves and they will be with us for a very long time.
5
Given the number of unarmed people of color are shot and killed by white police and 'stand your ground' fanatics who are never held accountable, I am not too bothered by Smollett being cut lose, if he did fabricate these charges.
We all know that there are fundamental issues with our legal system, but may this infuses a little more equality in the inequities.
2
@NBrooke- bit it doesn't. not one bit.
2
@NBrooke
Exponentially more white males than black males are involved with fatal police shootings.
Over and over, the press investigative reports find that most fatal police shootings are the result of the victim engaged in the commission of a crime and carrying a weapon that they refuse to relinquish when instructed to do so. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
2
@NBrooke Maybe equality...but doesn't do much for justice.
Poor MLK must be weeping in his grave for this tragic outcome...let this man be judged by his character...when you destroy justice we all suffer.
7
I think that someone very connected called in a favor and got the charges dropped. Sad thing is that Jussie is too arrogant or deluded to realize it and rather than be grateful and slink out of the courthouse decides to triple down on the "I'm a victim" narrative. There are two Nigerians who have admitted to the "crime". So let's prosecute them. They need to have their day in court. I bet they have an interesting defense strategy.
7
@Linda- it sounds like he needs some kind of therapeutic help.
3
I hope the fine people of Chicago will do the right thing and vote out state attorney Kimberly Foxx in 2020, similar to them voting out Anita Alvarez in 2012 for her questionable decisions. Mark your calendars.
8
@Polemics
So they will vote her out and not Rahm Emanuel? Then they are bigger idiots than I thought.
1
There still seems to be no concern/ ‘outrage’ over the fact that Jessie implicated two additional black men besides himself in this mess.
10
People keep saying Smollett got away with it because of his fame and wealth. For the last year or so, multiple filthy rich and famous men got brought down by #metoo. It's not that simple.
2
What community "service" could this man do that would service the community?
4
The truth is that as a society, we have to be able to take the fact that famous people, black people, Presidents, can have bad behavior, criminal behavior, etc. We have had two Presidents, Clinton, and Trump, both white, who have had questionable, and even possible criminal behavior, one impeached, and unfortunately, because the nature of the human animal is tribal, we often absolve those in our tribe, whether family, race, political party, or religion of their immoral, illegal, or criminal behavior. Until we can stop doing this, and treat adults as adults, and that they have to answer for themselves, then we will remain very primitive, and people will hate the other, rather than acknowledge that the behavior is wrong, or evil.
3
Mr. Smollett should refund the City of Chicago for any/all fees relating to investigating this charade, should publicly apologize to the citizens of Chicago, and the President of the United States. Anyone who initiates a hate crime (yes, he did) should pay the price.
5
This is an appalling indictment of the Chicago prosecutors. Agreement reached and th he whole thing locked up and hidden away? Shameful!
5
Something really stinks here.
Why are the details of this agreement "sealed" from public view?
The hardworking Chicago citizens paid hundreds of thousands of their tax $$$ and thousands of law enforcement hours to investigate and issue 16 criminal charges against this Smollet fraudster.
Then in a 5 minute hearing, all just goes away without any explanation.
When something does not make sense, follow the money.
Someone with a lot of power and money orchestrated this.
7
So let's see 1. Took 20 detectives away from real crimes to go on a wild goose chase; 2. Sent mail containing terrorist threat and white powder to his workplace; 3. Wanted to press charges when the police detained two people, then decided not to after finding out they had his cohorts, and not two random whites whose lives he was ready to destroy for his scam. The only person who attempted a genuine hate crime in the story is Smollett. I knew Chicago's "justice" system would drop the ball, but hopefully the feds do not.
7
Now I understand why conservatives use Chicago as a political talking point.
This is more laughable than deep dish "pizza."
5
@M. Noone
This kind of stuff happens in many urban cities, for all the same reasons.
Yes, it is ok to let this idiot off the hook, he needs mental help more than incarceration. They need to investigate and prosecute the chronic perpetrators of violent gun crimes in Chicago with the same vigor that they did this celebrity case. There are children on the South and West Side of Chicago being murdered weekly whose cases don't get this kind of attention or outraged cries of injustice.
1
Protected groups of rich, famous, entitled people are above the law. It's that simple.
5
What made me feel the worst isn’t this smug liar getting off the hook but the realization I don’t have friends in Albany, in DC, in Hollywood or on the Forbes list.
I have never been invited to dinner at the White House, have former First Lady’s chief of staff’s number on my phone, can call a press conference through my publicist or the show I am on.
Any legal battle I unfortunately get into would drain my savings and investment account and probably set me back 20 years. This is the case with most of you; we have no real power and the feeling of safety and control is just an illusion. One legal battle and you might be where you were outside college.
Privileged and protected class like Smollett behaved with such disregard for decency because he can. He is going to go back to his million dollar apartment with fans, coworkers and LGBTQ community all congratulating him. Empire’s producer is firmly behind him so he might be safe at his $100,000 a episode job and there is definitely a multimillion book deal coming.
4
Great, now rich and powerful black men can get sweetheart deals from prosecutors, just like rich and powerful white people.
Progress?
3
Smollett pulled off a trump. Did trump give him a back channel pardon? After all it helps trump's narrative to his base that liberals like Smollett are willing to make up accusation that only trump has the right to do.
Smollett is a clear and present danger to society. Does anyone doubt he would stick to his lie if two innocent guys had been wrongfully arrested and convicted as a result of his hoax? Indeed, abandoned his two partners in crime to rot in jail on his behalf?
Like trump, Smollett doubles down on his lie, insulting all of our intelligence.
This is already being characterized on the right as Michelle Obama personally intervening to save Smollet. It's not true of course but she will now get twice the hate she used to.
1
@Jason Galbraith
Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, interceded and worked with prosecutor Kimberly Foxx. Fact. In the article.
1
Hopefully anyone who is a victim of a hate crime will understand that it's not their responsibility to answer for a celebrity fraudster.
Does this judge have any idea of the irony of his ruling in a city where young black men are railroaded every day? I think my favorite part of the ruling is the two !! days of community service.
3
The cherry on the top of the long list of what makes this deal stink to high heaven is Smollet's pompous statement afterward as if a "not guilty" has been issued. He's a little emperor with no clothes.
6
It's got to be a technical problem with the case. Especially since the case seems to be based on a confession, my guess is that confession was not legally obtained.
Sollett can afford good lawyers. So rather than have the case thrown out before trial, which would be super embarrassing for the Chicago PD and DA, they drop it now.
For Smollett, the worst part of his punishment wasn't going to be the fine or maybe a few days in jail. It was his ruined reputation and career. This will follow him for the rest of his life. Yes people want more punishment, maybe he deserves more punishment, but he is going to experience significant punishment from society for the rest of his life.
1
What impresses me the most is at 0200 hours, with the temp 20 degrees, two guys are equipped with a bottle of bleach, a rope shaped into a noose and claiming this is MAGA country (it’s not) jumps this guy exiting a Subway sandwich shop with a tuna sandwich and manages to repel said guys and shows up back at his apt. with noose and tuna sandwich intact. That in itself is a miracle. We have our share of crime, but when the temp dips down in the twenties, at 0200 hours they’re in bed and not prowling around with a bottle of bleach in hand, and if they did, the sandwich would be the first to go. Only in Chicago.
2
American communautarism and the outrage industrial complex gone mad....
Any guesses on the size of the check Smollett cut for the DA's office? Would have to be 6 figures for such an abrupt reversal.
3
This “you’ve basically lived a good life” standard for showing mercy simply isn’t reliable and we’ve seen it take affect in both Manafort‘s and now Smollet’s cases.
It is one thing to consider that a defendant has been disadvantaged, demonstrable by low income, family neglect and lack of education. But when a defendant is successful and still breaks the law to gain even further advantage, this “good life” standard is pretty meaningless. Successful people give to charities and raise families often because it enhances their status and careers, not because they’re good people. If they were, they’d have been thankful for the comfortable lives they had and not succumb to greed and criminality.
1
He is a guilty adult who conceived a scheme and carried it out. He should be treated equally to anyone, including those who don't have support, under the law.
2
Mr. Smollett is young, but not a child. He is old enough to have grown children and should have shown better judgement all the way around. I know that I would never have gotten "mercy" for mistakes I'd made at that age, if I'd gotten myself involved in such a mess and no matter how or why. The ones I did make have lasted the rest of my life.
All this is rather beside the point. Mr. Smollett has lost whatever career he had, most likely for good. I expect to hear about him in a decade flipping burgers or selling used cars. That is punishment enough, if you have to think of him deserving any. On a long enough time line, justice is served to us all.
1
This disturbing result is all the more so because it is bathed in secrecy. I see it as a prelude to a soft landing for the rich and famous parents who broke the la to secure their sons and daughters a place in prestigious universities. Smollett’s case sets a frightening precedent that undermines our faith in the last impartial repository of democracy: the courts.
If possible, he should be brought up on federal charges.
5
What is most concerning are the reports Michelle Obama's former chief of staff interceded and convinced the County Attorney's office to drop the charges. Other reports have the prosecuting attorney Foxx recuse herself to avoid bad publicity, putting an underling in an untenable position.
Jussi Smollett may have got off because of who he is, but if he was helped by people abusing political influence, that's a bad situation.
10
Yes, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel gets it right that this casts doubt on 'Hate Crime' as it should. Crimes fueled by hatred of persons based on race, creed, orientation, gender, or ideology are despicable and need to be prosecuted. Nonetheless, as we see in this case, it was used cynically and selfishly as bait to incite an ideological firestorm. It is understandable why well-meaning citizens want to identify and punish thoughts that lie behind and inspire crimes, but it is unwise; Jussie Smollett is case and point.
2
For everything that Democrats and Republicans have done, the cops, rich people, I was always just on a the brink of thinking we live in a corrupt country with a corrupt system.
I am no longer teetering and am now fully convinced.
This must be how Democrats felt when the Muller report came out.
5
My first thought was, nice to know that the justice system is blind to issues of race and orientation, too bad it that only applies when it comes to letting off the rich and famous.
3
If anyone believes the 3500 was paid to the two brothers for physical training and nutritional guidance, I've got a bridge in Chicago to sell you. So they can add perjury to the charges.
He's an outright liar, just like Trump and everyone surrounding his administration.
And what's with Tina Tchen and her running interference in the case? Did the defendant lack funds to hire a stellar defense attorney?
This is a travesty of justice. It doesn't matter whether the trampling of our supposedly impartial system comes from the right-wing or left-wing. The blindfold of Lady Justice has been ripped from her face, the arm holding up the scale has been amputated.
5
Where are the adults?
Hate crimes happen. Racism is real. Homophobia is real. Discrimination and violence exist in our society. This particular situation is not about that and has no real bearing on the existence of real threats.
Stop with the "how will this play" approach and start with the measured application of our laws (note- this was way over charged).
Not prosecuting Smollett does not make black people or gay people safer. The people the most directly harmed and put at risk by his actions were much less privileged, lower income black men who he had no problem dragging to the street to perform violence for his benefit. If he had been contemplating racism and danger for black, gay men- wouldn't he have worried that a rogue police officer witnessing the public fight would harm these friends for real? Trying to make this odd and unique Hollywood fraud into an indictment - either on the real prevalence of hate crimes OR on the effect on belief in future victims is off-base. Believe victims, investigate their claims, if they have actually put others at risk within a complex hoax... then they are no longer victims and we can stop believing them or supporting/protecting them!
3
Shouldn't they need to prosecute somebody? Either the attackers or the 'victim'? I guess he's being judged by the content of his wallet...
8
The US does not claim to be an egalitarian society. It promises justice for all, which is a legal term; same laws (in proceedings) apply to all citizens. Egality would require that all citizens be treated the same. That has never been the case. Some, at times, can get better treatment than others.
6
Come on, we all know what happened here. We just don't want to believe that we live in a country that treats people so differently depending on who they are.
17
From Mayor Rahm Emanuel:
“You cannot have, because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and one set of rules apply to everybody else,” Mr. Emanuel said.
“Our officers did hard work, day in and day out, countless hours, working to unwind what actually happened that night,” he added. “The city saw its reputation dragged through the mud.”
This is a police department that has been proven to have run a torture program (covered by the New York Times, among other media outlets); a police department that had to not just be caught on video murdering Laquan McDonald, a black man, in cold blood, but was also backed up by the City's administration until the video was forced into the public arena through by a lawsuit. That fight took four years.
So, Mr. Mayor, to ask you the question in your own words, "...because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and one set of rules apply to everybody else...", who are you referring to? Who operates by one set of rules that don't apply to everyone else?
Spare all of us the crocodile tears, Mr. Mayor. Smollett may have gotten away with his fraud, but what you and your police department get away with makes Smollett's crime seem truly insignificant.
12
Tom, I disagree with your point that Smollett's crime is insignificant. His fraud hands ammunition to those who are inclined to doubt real victims' experience of violence and harassment. It hits minorities, women and members of the gay community especially hard. The nature of Chicago policing is irrelevant in this case. Smollett deserves to be shamed into the social and professional oblivion he deserves.
5
Stop justifying this , it really makes me sick that we are willing to throw fairness and justice out for partisan political beliefs. Be a American, live up to ideals even if no one else is, be a example. This man needs to be in jail
2
@DanI'm making a comparison. If you feel that Smollett needs to be shamed into oblivion, what about those who torture and murder? This society, not just you, needs a very different moral code.
The Attorney General Kim Foxx is good friends with Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, who reached out to her on the case on behalf of Smollet's family. Emails revealed that Foxx had reached out to the police superintendent in an attempt to influence the case.
Then Kim Foxx recused herself and gave the case to someone who reported directly to her.
And suddenly, because he worked a few hours at Rainbow/Push, and forfeited his 10k bond, not only is Smollet let go, but he didn't have to plead guilty to anything, his record is expunged and all court documents are sealed, including all interviews with him by the police, and all detective notes.
It's not even subtle and the dots are pathetically easy to connect.
And Smollett is so smug, he doesn't even have the decency to go quietly, but insists loudly that he is innocent and even disses the state of Illinois for "trying to do the right thing." I guess if you're that well connected, you feel you can do what you want. Which of course, has already been proved.
34
In 2015 a couple of tourists filed a police report saying that they’d been robbed on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Police investigated and the story did not add up. They got 2 YEARS PROBATION. But, they had no friends in high places.
15
Police torture, police brutality, police misconduct, broken education system and gang violence but this is what makes the mayor angry?
The real anger is over the fact they couldn't railroad Smollet like they do so many poor and black people in Chicago. He had the means to fight back. As soon as his attorneys agreed to have his trial public the prosecution backed down.
Clean up corrupt police departments and then you wont have these problems. Johnny Cochran always said corrupt incompetent police helped him win.
4
Johnny Cochran was not, in any way, a paragon of virtue.
2
@Hellen in a fair world, you could spend a few days or weeks trailing police officers through the various urban disaster zones, like Chicago, to give you personal moral authority to throw out the generalizations you are, fixating on the minute sample sizes of the bad police interactions like you do. You should spend time in Bridgeport CT, where late last year the shooting carnage reached a point where members of the black political community were openly pondering if stop and frisk might help curb the violence (Google it). Somehow I doubt that would change your mind, as you seem one of those people detached from reality, who feel that 75% of black criminals confronted by police are just poor, misunderstood souls.
1
It has been reported that George Soros, the progressive billionaire, donated over 400 thousand dollars to Kim Foxx, the Chicago prosecutor in the case who asked to be excused in the Smollett case. She needs to be investigated fully to get to the bottom of this outrageous dismissal case.
12
Well OJ Simpson is getting old. Time for white people to get " outraged" over not being able to send another black man to jail. White people will now complain about Smollet for the next 30 years.
2
I think you’re confusing OJ Simpson with Jussie Smollett.
1
@Hellen- Well I agree with you that something fishy has been going on here, but unlike you I don't think it's with the police.
2
I like being a white person
1
If in fact Smollett is innocent of the charges then I am happy for him and will expect the Chicago PD and DA to investigate the claim by the brothers.
What I cannot wrap my head around is why would anyone, no matter how rich, agree to forfeit their bond if in fact they are innocent.
Altruism defies sense as a reason to give up the money to the Chicago criminal system. As does doing community service for NOT committing a crime. That's called volunteer work and does not need a court order or agreement by the DA.
I doubt we will ever be told why those things happen, and that will leave a cloud over Smollett forever.
11
Most of us in Chicago agree with our mayor and police chief. We are outraged. The most outrageous thing is not the collective insult to Chicago, our police, and us citizens; bad as that is, we've withstood worse. We have work to do, such as booting the State's Attorney at the next election.
The worst outrage is the harm this does to the real victims of real hate crimes. Regretably, their credibility has taken a hit along with Mr. Smollett's. The supreme irony of that, is that Smollett is a member of several groups that are frequent targets of hate crimes.
12
What actually happened that night?
A spoiled celebrity with entitlement issues got away with something as only those with connections and money can.
24
What celebrity? I never heard of this guy before he was arrested
3
There is something very wrong going on here.
the prosecutor who maintains he has teh evidence and belief in guilt claimed that this was common.
Then we have to have the list of others whom have been charged with 16 Felonies for which there was ample evidence to convict where this or any prosecutor dropped the charges and did not require an admission of guilt or expression of contrition.
Something very crooked is going on here. It looks very much like this prosecutor has been bribed.
12
Seeing Rahm flaccidly howl about this was pretty satisfying. In Chicago, there's always a bigger boss.
4
Dear Entertainment Industry,
I will not watch any show / performance with this individual. My small part for justice.
16
I think the risk is low that you’ll be given that opportunity. There are a lot of gay and/or black people in the industry who take civil rights very seriously, and don’t think it’s anything to play with for publicity.
4
Good grief folks, it's Chicago. What do you expect? Somebody called somebody, and charges are dropped.
20
Imagine… if you had any doubts regards political hypocrisy in America, or the Lady of Justice being relegated to a courtesan subject the whims of political wastrels. Look no further than the Cook County, Ill and the misconduct of prosecutors handling the Jussie Smollett case, aka Smollett’s racial fiasco in Chicago.
Imagine… misconduct or recusals regards racial / hate crimes in Cook County, Ill. If you didn’t know any better you might even think you were witnessing the resurgence of a racially motived clan of political opportunist gone the way of Cook County Prosecutors. Ooh-well… another day in La-La-Land where political operatives use the Laws of the land to suit their political whims.
7
Rahm and CPD were sure quick to come out on this case to pile on Jussie, but they were quiet with Laquan and their cover up. Idc what you think of Jussie, but you definitely can't trust CPD.
5
COD has been corrupt for years. How many hours were the Nigerian brothers questioned, and under what conditions? Innocent pet will confess to crimes they never committed, just to make it stop.
This story is odd, but I never believed the CPD version of events
2
@Ellen right, let's worry about how comfortable two suspects were in police custody while they were being questioned about their beating of another man, which ultimately they admitted to staging and concealing from there public for a fee. Priorities priorities.
2
I have the expectation of blind justice - this seems to run against that. He received preferential treatment in the investigation, moving to the head of the line due to his celebrity. Now, again due to his celebrity, he gets judicial preference.
This is wrong.
10
Joe Magats, the prosecutor with the perfect name, MUST have been paid off. There is no other logical explanation. Throw in the "judge" as well, for aiding and abetting the highest profile miscarriage of justice case, this young week!
6
Allowing Smollett to walk away with a pretense of innocence was the worst possible thing the Chicago prosecutor could have done. Now, the did/didn't happen polarization will intensify and supporting Smollett or not will become code for opposing or condoning racial injustice, irrespective of whether Smollett orchestrated his own attack. And it leaves us with the absurd spectacle of a man forfeiting a $10K bond and performing community service in lieu of prosecution, while that man sticks to the same story that triggered his arrest. Just the absolute dumbest possible outcome for this mess.
20
Surely the Chicago mayor and police chief have much larger fish to fry than a celebrity who may have filed a false police report. Their grandstanding was astonishing. Had this not been a celebrity, would they still have had the big news conference? Do they do this with every case that prosecutors drop?
2
@LT, hmm wonder if that would be the sentiment if a White person staged an attack from Black gang members. Or would that morph into a social crusade.
3
This definitively proves that there is one set of rules for the rich, famous and well connected and a completely different set of rules for the rest of us.
18
Smollett was trying to stoke racial tensions and smear white Trump supporters. From his actions today, I bet if some unfortunate white men just happened to be walking in that neighborhood that night and were picked up by the police, Smollett would have fingered them as his attackers. This was NOT a victimless crime.
20
As long as we blindly praise our "justice" system, that's what we get.
2
My problem is the prosecutor. And they want to erase the Electoral College. Another reason why this would ruin America.
6
The prosecutor lied. Jussie Smollett has a criminal record. He pleaded no contest to DUI and lying about his identity when he was arrested for said DUI.
21
@Tom - Yet it seems that he was not convicted for DUI - only "reckless driving" according to some reports.
He certainly isn't used to taking responsibility for his actions, that's for sure.
5
Forget about the charges being dropped. Big deal. His career is over, and he's no longer a person to be taken seriously on any level; that's punishment enough. The real issue surrounds his insistence that this really happened. In one statement he said "I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I've been accused of." So he lies again and is even willing to tarnish the relationship he has with his mother to strengthen his lie. This suggests a level of sociopathy reserved for only the most selfish among us. This self-righteousness in a person who loves attention like Jussie is a volatile mix and can only lead to more outrageous behavior. Stay tuned.
133
@Mark, but is his career over? Looks like the producers and cast of Empire might be re-joining Team Smollett, now that the Chicago prosecutor has allowed Smollett to walk away from this mess with a sealed court file. Smollett can continue proclaiming his innocence because the public has been denied the benefit of seeing the evidence at hand.
21
@Mark, South Philly
Well, Mark....when Fox realizes Smollett’s farce will result in increased positive ratings, Smollett will be welcomed back to Empire. What Smollett deserves is to be totally ignored...the way appropriate adults ignore a toddler having a tantrum. But curiosity about this mediocre actor will result in his career getting an uptick.
The true victims here are people who experience genuine hate crimes but are now not believed because of Smollett.
21
@Mark
Correct, the problem is he walked away from it and is still blathering the same story about "unknown" assailants. No contrition at all. If anything, the Chicago DA is a bad negotiator. Jussie should have been put through the ringer but he was allowed to waltz out with head held high.
Speaking of his career being over, that's what they said about Michael Vick, and Smollett's sociopathy pales in comparison!
15
Here is a hypothesis that fits this case and a lot of others: Police and prosecutors want to arrest and jail people. Whether the accused actually did it is a secondary consideration at best. Therefore, they don't want to discourage people from making false accusations.
1
In the 1980s, when I was working for a tech company, there was a massive layoff. At the time, men who "had families to support" were given special dispensation over other men and women--particularly men who were friends with the hiring/firing manager.
It seems that the only thing that has changed are the actors - pun intended I guess. Access to power is still blatant, perhaps even more than before. Smollett had the ear of very influential people. But whereas before straight men who were insiders with those in power were given preferential treatment in the 1980s as long as they conformed with the preferred narrative (married straight man raising children with dependent wife), now it's men or women who conform to the ideological narrative of wokeness. Smollett knows this -- he said it explicitly as he was released. He made sure to say he was "fighting for justice and equality" even as his actions have literally nothing to do with either.
The more things change.....
9
I can understand why they dropped the charges - hard for the prosecution to meet burden of proof; HOWEVER, Mr Smollett is making things worse by continuing to deny he did anything wrong. It's especially tone deaf because his actions damage the credibility of true victims.
That said, he seems like he is a very troubled young man. I hope he gets the help he needs.
6
Good that the government is not wasting any more valuable law enforcement resources on a stupid stunt. Other cities should do the same. It was like that when I was young and law enforcement was more humane and sensible and allowed common sense to intervene and I am glad to see a return to sense of humanity.
Same old story:
If you're in a protected class you get special treatment.
9
The silent majority sees the lunacy in Chicago as just another fundamental breakdown in justice.
Is everything always put into a black vs white context?
No wonder why Trump won and could win again.
10
If you need anything to convince you of the fact that social class means more than race in America, take a look at this case. Our society lets the wealthy and famous break the law in ways that the middle class and poor are not allowed to do. Jussie Smollett is a worst case example of liberal politics gone crazy. He didn't even bother to leave his wealthy neighborhood before he perpetrated this fraud. What a joke on the city of Chicago and all those associated with this case.
11
This “didn’t exonerate him.”
I like this no more than seeing the same words applied to our President - yet here we are.
At least some of us are being less hypocritical than others.
4
This decision was influenced by very powerful and wealthy political operators who are well known,it had nothing to do with Smollet,in case someone was under the impression he was that smart. The political entities that engineered this are the the no crimes ,incitement of chaos groups,that endeavor to make criminal charges obsolete by design.Right now thousands of felons are being released into society and given the right to vote. At the same time sanctuary cities embrace and protect criminals from prosecution. This is the transformation often spoke of and it is reality today.
2
The Governor of Illinois should have the local prosecutor in Chicago and the Attorny General's office investigated for their miscarriage of justice in the Smollett case.
We now have two decision by two Attorney Generals that questions the fairness of the justice system in this country.
Mr. Barr's decision to exonerate Mr. Trump for any obstruction of justice and the Chicago's attorney's office exoneration of Mr. Smollett for his false accusations.
The two cases illustrates and deepens the mistrust that our justice system will follow the law, regardless of who the defendant is.
6
I'll get right to the point: There is nothing "typical" about the disposition of Jussie Smollett's criminal case.
As an attorney who helps people clear their criminal histories, the deferred prosecution of Mr. Smollett, charged with multiple felony crimes, is at best an outlier. Deferred prosecution -- where a first-time offender is ordered to do community service, attend theft or drug school, pay a nominal fine -- in exchange for dropping the charges, is typically offered to someone facing misdemeanor charges. I can't recall a case where someone facing multiple felony charges was offered the sweet deal Mr. Smollett got.
The second thing that puzzled me about what happened yesterday was that without a public sentencing, the judge ordered the case immediately sealed. While it is true that a case dismissed is eligible for immediate sealing at the request of the defendant, there still should have been a public record of what the court ordered Mr. Smollett to do. At least according to the media reports, that does not seem to have taken place. I will venture a guess that Mr. Smollett was not required to enter a plea of guilty in exchange for his deferred prosecution. That is a common practice. But to suggest that the justice served in this case occurs in Cook County courts is simply not the case.
17
While caught red handed with video, witnesses, and payments he continues to proclaim his innocence: “I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since Day One.” This belief is based upon the sine qua non of leftist “action.” That anything is acceptable as long as Your heart is in the right place. Truthfully, this is the crumbling of civilized society.
10
This should be a message to the African American community that class, money, contacts and fame buy a person more privilege than race does all by itself. Jussie Smollett proves that the associated power that all of those things bring trump any kind of "white privilege" most white people could ever hope to have based on race alone.
13
For an actor who received $80,000 to $100,000 an episode, $10,000 isn't much.
If he had only shut-up after his felony charges were dropped... (I still don't get why they were.)
Instead, he gratingly lied again about his story all being true. Lesson not learned. He'll be in the headlines again sometime, and not in a good way.
11
For years and years and years, white suspects have been let off with a slap on the wrist for a lot worse crimes than Smollett's. And, Black men have been prosecuted and found guilty for a lot less. So, letting a Black man off is a weird kind of justice. Now White people have some idea of how Black people have felt time after time when a White person has been let off and a crime goes unpunished.
1
@Ms. Pea
Because naturally two wrongs make a right!
5
@Samuel Russell--My implication was exactly the opposite. If it's wrong for Smollett, it's wrong for many, many White defendants.
1
It will cost the prosecutor her job.
I hope his selfishness was worth it.
4
@Edward Walsh
No it won’t. Kim Foxx will stay. The prosecutor has the same friends in high places as Smollett. She’ll skate. Corruption in Chicago is not news.
3
Something doesn't Smollett right.
5
“I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since Day One,” - Jussie Smollett
So basically, he's calling law enforcement and the prosecutors office to be little more than a collection of liars. Both groups state that there was more than enough evidence to point to Smolletts guilt, including confessions from the "MAGA" supporting assaulters who turned out to be his acquaintances.
What is interesting is the call Michelle Obama's former Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen, made to State Attorney Foxx. What concerns was Tchen referring to in asking for some favor on behalf of a Smollett relative? Why would Tchen, a lawyer who surely must know enough about conflict of interest, allow a relative to call Foxx, hence setting up a 'recusal'? Who was the relative?
This all seems like an interesting chess game of corruption. Obviously, crookedness isn't limited to the White House or Republicans.
11
OK- they let him off with a minimal fine and some community service (doing what?)
Now he should be shunned by the entertainment industry until he takes ownership of his foolish actions and offers remorse. This behavior should not be rewarded.
11
The upside is he can play himself in the Lifetime movie recounting of this story, which is probably already in negotiation.
3
Look no further then Kim Fox , the state's attorney. She made personal cell phone calls to Smollett's family.
Then suddenly the charges are dropped.
Will the FBI investigate this egregious whitewash of our justice system?
None of this surprises me considering we are talking Chicago democratic politics here. It would not surprise me one bit if Obama's connections helped Jussie.
11
We are increasingly seeing different standards of justice being applied to different perpetrators in this Trump era: why on earth did prosecutors allow this narcissistic opportunist, Smollett, to get away with his stunt? It seems increasingly likely that Trump himself will never pay for all of the obvious white collar crimes that he has committed over the years, and there are reports of other wealthy or powerful entities defying subpoenas, following the example of the president. Is anyone going to hold wealthy celebrities accountable, or is our justice system permanently compromised? I am concerned that the legal system has been co-opted to protect the privileged ...
4
Kim Foxx is a social justice warrior and dislikes the police. Eliminated bond in most cases including gun possession. Of course one doesn't have to live in chicago to see the Michelle Obama connection to all of this via Tina Tchen. Oh well, the citizens of chicago elect these Democrats over and over again so why is anyone surprised. Simple corruption, nothing to see here, move on..the chicago Way.
9
charges were dropped most likely as prosecutors realized they would not be able to meet reasonable doubt and would waste more resources instead of addressing violent crime. BUT- the issue is, had this been someone without the financial, legal and PR resources Mr Smollett has, he or she would have been pressured by a public defender and the prosecutor to take a plea which would have avoided jail time, but would have left the individual with a criminal record- which, it is clear, that Mr Smollett will not have.
4
Mayor and Police Chief of Chicago are saying that the rich , powerful and connected have one rule and others have another rule. This is what Trump also says. These allegations must be properly investigated and take actions against whoever tried to help miscarriage of justice for the people to have confidence in the system. Otherwise the people will elect disrupters like Trump.
5
Hate crimes hoaxes are often hate crimes themselves. Their purpose is to engender anger animosity and violence against segments of the population due to their race, ethnicity, religion or political beliefs. In addition to mail fraud charges, the Justice Department should being hate crime charges against Smollett.
10
"Here's a check. Now take turns pushing me softly and calling me names. I weigh 175lbs and each of you could bench press a cement truck, so remember not to push to hard."
Then Mr. Smollett files a false police report and is indicted on multiple counts. Because of his [little known] Hollywood status, he agrees to forfeit his bond and do community service.
In return, his record is sealed like nothing happened and now he can pursue his music career.
What a double standard!
11
"“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”
So, give us some examples of other non-violent crimes that you dismissed all charges. That should probably include about 90% of all drug charges and 100% of white collar crimes.
12
The only rational explanation: the prosecutors made some sort of blunder and dropping the case and sealing the record is the way to cover it up.
It spite of how professional the DA always looks when announcing an indictment, the typical DA's office is staffed with second-rate lawyers.
Smollett's lawyer must have essentially blackmailed them with an improper Miranda warning, a racial comment on a recorded interview of Smollett, an illegal surveillance camera, mis-handled evidence, etc.
8
This is truly the most absurd miscarriage of justice I can recall. The prosecutor explicitly says Smollett was guilty and then lets him walk, agains the wishes of the police and the mayor, not to mention the public, white and black. Smollett's smugness truly makes me want to gag. It's worse than Putin's. The prosecutor needs as serious an investigation as the one that proved incontrovertibly, even to this prosecutor, that Smollett committed a serious felony It's hard to conclude anything but that somehow Smollet simply bought the prosecutor off. If this were Michael Jackson, we might be angry, but have to shrug. But Jussie Smollett?? A tiny "celebrity" like him? Thanks for reaffirming the public's total cynicism about our dual justice system for the rich and the poor.
8
The Chicago prosecutors office has said that “This outcome was met under the same criteria that would occur for and is available to any defendant with similar circumstances.” Fine, but he should at the very least have had to take responsibility for and apologize for what he did. Instead, as we have seen, he is walking away still claiming he was completely innocent and victimized. And If the latter should be true to any extent, then it needs to be clarified. If not, we have what appears to us all to be justice for sale.
6
Smollett paid his way out of trouble by forfeiting his $10,000 bond. It's all about money, not justice.
4
Despite the deserved outrage with the DA's decision, Mr. Smollett will still "pay" with his damaged, if not ended, acting career. His arrogance is a sad but familiar quality found in those of us who have come to believe that rules don't apply to them.
9
The problem is not that this man was given a break for being young, gay, has a family that loves and supports him, is remorseful, etc. etc. The problem is that the same acceptance of mitigating circumstances is not extended to others who have committed comparable violations of the law.
15
@mary therese lemanek I didn't notice remorse.
4
I don't know what happened here, but I find it rich and hypocritical that Mayor Emmanuel and Chief Johnson are worried about folks being treated equally because of celebrity when the Laquand McDonald murder and cases of other black men and women were handled with blatant unequal treatment by Chicago PD and the city of Chicago. Clean up your own backyard gentlemen before you try to tell others how to clean up theirs. Take some of your irate energy and use it to make your police department and city government better.
11
Once again Chicago's governance is open to amazing questioning. In such a high profile case it is incredible that charges were dropped after so much intensity (i.e. taxpayers' dollars) was put into investigating the case. Something smells very rotten in the State's Attorney's office. She was only recently elected because her predecessor dropped the ball in the Laquan McDonald case where a Chicago policeman murdered a kid who did not have a firearm and was walking away from a confrontation. It was clearly caught on a police car dash camera. The video that shows one berserk policeman shooting the kid was kept hidden by the police, the mayor and the state's attorney for over a year. This case gave us a new State's Attorney and next week a new mayor. But even tho names change the system remains corrupt. Smollett appears to be guilty from all the evidence made public thus far. Who has been paid off and why? This case is even more bizarre now than before charges were dropped.
7
The disposition of this case was wildly inappropriate. These were serious allegations that rightfully drew the attention of the entire country. Assuming the allegations are true, Smollett deserves a felony conviction and prison time. And, either way, the public deserves to know the truth. All we have now are contradictory statements from different sources, and no answers. The State’s Attorney’s handling of this case needs to be investigated, and Smollett should be the subject of federal investigation and civil litigation, if at all possible.
14
So many questions!
Did Mr. Smollett buy his freedom by giving the state his bail money?
Or did the state of Illinois extort that money from him in exchange for dropping their prosecution of him and releasing him?
How can it be that Mr. Smollett had already performed community service work when he hadn't yet entered into any plea bargain or been tried and convicted of anything?
By what legal process does the state of Illinois take his bail money in this fashion?
8
For all the things that privileged white men get away with it's about time the scales of justice work equally, and he's an actor. Why the confusion?!
1
My guess is the Obama's were involved because of their connections (see photos online) with both the "Perp" and this Prosecutor Fox. I also think the Mayors anger may have been Faux.
The timing of this right after the release of the Mueller findings is also suspect. They wanted to say "if you let Trump get away with it then I can release Smollet".
I love the way he totally denied any wrongdoing in his post release interview.
6
@South My first thoughts were Oprah Winfrey had some Chicago "juice" that she used in this instance.
3
If fame was the intention here, it worked for me. A nobody has captured my attention and disdain.
To the police: Some days it must seem that no matter what you do, you'll gave the rug pulled out.
To those without social stature or money: Yes, you are right, injustice is all around you. A shame.
7
Honestly- they failed to build a case. No one has ever accused the Chicago PD of competency.
I already commented on this yesterday, but here it is again:
This young actor did a mischief, nothing more. Don't ruin his life for this. Give him a pep talk, but let him live a normal life afterwards.
1
“Mischief “ is egging a house on Halloween. And the mischief makers will usually admit it and apologize when they’re caught. Sorry if the rest of us find Smollet’s actions a bit more serious.
5
"...and eventually homed in a pair of brothers..." Were police making a home in a pair of brothers? Or did they actually home in ON a pair of brothers?
1
Another nail in the coffin... It has been an awful week for American jurisprudence and a great week for reality-TV as America's most important product.
13
This is a person who wasted valuable services that could have been used for those who could have used the help. The person should be ashamed of himself. I would never watch any of his shows. Thank you for wasting services as well as wasting valuable money and time.. Apparently Chicago should send him a nice bill for the services he used plus interest.
15
The Prosecuter actually said that they didn’t want to ruin this fine young man’s entire future over this unfortunate incident.
Huh?
So does this whole incident prove he is a good actor or a bad actor? I can’t decide.
9
Maybe covering up police incompetence or error in processing evidence/witnesses?
Clearly, this Smollett deserves punishment and having him preach to the media that he is innocent and a good boy following his mother's advice is an insult to everyone. The prosecutors, judge involved need to fess up to the reason that the charges were dropped, at least not allow him to continue to confess true innocence.
He will probably return to Empire, unless the show's sponsors get boycott threats from the public. Me, I have seen the show a few times, and would follow any boycott protest to show a viewer who does not condone what he fraud he committed and the harm this has done to others who will think twice about stepping forward over an assault.
5
Where are the people who march against Trump for stoking racial tensions???
Where is Al Sharpton? Why is he not on the news demanding a conviction?? Where are the NFL protesters??
Without true honesty and leadership on issues dividing us things will only get worse.
14
That’s what fame and money gets you in America.
11
The greatest injustice was" seal the court records". Now we will never know why such a verdict.
8
It’s not a verdict. It’s the opposite.
1
Looks like he adopted the trump playbook... deny deny deny. Ironic.
How can there be such confusion with cameras everywhere you go in this surveillance society? Suddenly none can be found?
This entire mess smells.
You or I try this and see where we end up.
The bigger harm perhaps in the continued “uncertainty “ that pervades our society in nearly every instance.
We have all the information in the world at our fingertips yet no one knows the truth about most events that occur.
The liar-in-chief has exacerbated this shamelessly to enrich himself and feed his sick ego.
Dangerous times, folks.
4
So this is how far we're willing to go, to advance the "believe-the-victim" dogma?
In many states, "no-drop" policies meant that no matter how flimsy the allegation, the accused in a sex crimes, bias, or domestic violence case went to trial. But now, because a gay black man made a false allegation against someone he apparently hired it is not politically correct to prosecute him-- because it would prevent victims from coming forward.
It will do just the reverse. Not only will victims be less likely to assert themselves, but the public will be less likely to believe them without better evidence. It appears to me that the government is promoting false allegations, by making it all too clear that you can have immunity from prosecution, so long as you make an accusation against a politically incorrect ideology. That a person of celebrity and privilege would do that is a grievously aggravating factor.
136
@Charles Coughlin
For sure he will be doing the talk show thing again proclaiming his innocence and insisting that he is a victim of a crime.
So please ask him--
Jussie, you said you're certain that the two in the video are the two who committed the offense against you, yes?
So, since it turns out that these two are friends of yours, how many years in jail should your friends spend to make you feel vindicated? Then we shall see his real character....
Mr. Smollett likely suffers from a personality disorder where clinging to the lie, dramatizing, and manipulating will forever define his life. Maybe they let him off because someone else knows this and his next stop is the therapist's chair.
14
@Charles Coughlin
This has nothing to do with believe the victim. the prosecutor said he believed he is guilty and has the evidence to convict.
This is something else that looks a lot like a bribe.
8
@magicisnotreal
you miss his point. right now in our society is this huge trend called the Culture of Victimhood. This is where, despite a lack of fact or proof, the self-described victim demands everyone believe them.
The members of this culture range from Trump to the MeToo movement supporters to minorities claiming "microaggressions" because a white person did not smile at them wide enough or fast enough (that is not hyperbole, go read some of the published claims).
People claiming to be victims of crimes, real crimes not fantasy claims, need to be treated with respect while at the same time the people they accuse must also get respect.
The accused should not, indeed must not, be prosecuted in the press. Real evidence must be presented in court, and failing that, the accused is innocent and the accuser must be taken to task for the damage they do to the person whom they victimized by the claim.
4
This is unfathomable logic by the prosecutor making this decision, and cannot be justified under any legal norm, I observe after more than 30 years as a criminal defense attorney.
What occurred here is clearly unequal treatment under the law for an admitted criminal that provides absolutely no punishment whatsoever for the commission of multiple felonious criminal actions that caused law enforcement to needlessly spend hundreds of hours investigating...what were known to be intentional falsehoods from their first utterance.
There is no restitution made of any substance to the city of Chicago and there are no criminal convictions even though the evidence is rock-solid.
This prosecutor should immediately be FIRED, as there is no conceivable justification, from a prosecutorial viewpoint, for this kind of resolution as to this kind of lawless conduct.
The CHARGES SHOULD BE RE-INSTITUTED, which can legally occur, and the public should demand that to happen, IMO.
14
The only color that matters in the courthouse is the color of money.
11
Jussie—
You've hurt a lot of people, including yourself, cost your city of Chicago an enormous amount of money and police work on behalf of your false report, damaged your own "movement", embarrassed your friends and colleagues.
For a fine of $10,000 and community service, you've been given—at age 36—a second chance and avoided jail time.
The LEAST you could do would be to stop lying about "telling the truth and being consistent from day one".
Apologize. Express remorse and regret. Otherwise you won't be "moving on".
16
Do you think he really did it?
1
Hollywood rules again!!!!.......They can do no wrong, set bad examples, buy their way into anything and the world still gawks. What a sad reflection of America.
7
In Pennsylvania, he would likely receive similar treatment under the ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) pre-trial diversion program for first offenders. It would be unjust to deny the same opportunity to Smolett as other eligible non-violent first offenders just because of his celebrity. The difference is the weirdness of his behavior, the waste of police time and negative impact on efforts to seriously police and prosecute hate crime. Yes, it is annoying to read Smolett's lamebrained proclamations of innocence in light of the evidence that was compiled, especially after he was afforded a dismissal of charges at the discretion of the prosecutor. He doesn't seem very bright; he just keeps injuring himself. My advice would have been, "Okay, you got the deal, so stop playing the victim card and keep your mouth shut. Learn something from this." The question remains what he will learn from this.
7
I think it’s funny that Empire is on Fox.
5
Really wondering how the producers of Empire are going to handle this. Don't think I'll be watching anymore if Jussie is still around.
9
The two people that he hired had no reason to lie, a example must be made of him. Don't worry federal charges are coming down the river for him. I don't feel sorry for him, he made the Black and Gay community look bad.
6
This is above the fold....why?
Notwithstanding the deed and any personal judgment or opinion of this man, white, well-connected people with money and otherwise clean records get this kind of treatment all the time. Mr. Smollett, unfortunately for him, is in the public eye and his inability to admit he did wrong will haunt him for a long time.
2
It seems money (or fame) is buying "justice" everywhere in this country these days. What a disgusting country we have wrought.
8
Anyone who believes Smollett has been truthful should contact Donald Trump immediately from his sure he has some underwater oceanfront property in Arizona he would love to sell them.
4
I am wondering if the Cook County State's Attorney or someone got wind that if the case went to trial Antifa or BLM or some other group of anarchists would show up and raise a ruckus. Otherwise, it makes no sense.
3
Smollett has surely paid a real price in terms of his future marketability as an actor and in terms of money already spent for his defense and PR emergency management. Perhaps, in light of that, prosecutors decided a long involved trial is not worth the resources it would consume. I'm sure Chicago has better things to do, after all. But we'll hear soon about the shenanigans behind the scenes that led to dropping charges and that will also be, as all of this is, entertainment.
1
I know many people have been thinking this, but I'll ask it straight on—
Is this a type of Chicago legal system "affirmative action" for a 36-year-old?
I don't think he was that wealthy, or celebrated.
And was this a form of "noblesse oblige" by the prosecutor, Joe Magats?
3
By the chest thumping anger of these comments, you would think the Chicago PD was prosecuting the crime of the century.
2
@sonyalg Our 14th Amendment speaks of "equal protection" and the words written in marble on the facade of the US Supreme Court are "Equal Justice Under Law." This is a bedrock principle of American society, and it has been trifled with. That is why so many of us are upset. Jussie spat on this sacred value and then crowed about it.
7
So I wrote a comment stating "and you wonder why Trump won." Didn't mean to be impolite, and I was in a hurry. Comment wasn't accepted. Let me try again. Somebody owed somebody a favor. Said favor was called in. Simple as that. And so I ask again: "and you wonder why Trump won?" Have a nice day!
5
PS I kind of like it that all those people walking behind him are not very interested.
1
The next time someone announces "White privilege" in a legal case, bring up Smollett and ask "So how do you explain that one?"
7
Wake me when it's over.
3
Could it be that Jussie is just trying to show us what a wonderful actor he is? His greatest role: an innocent man, falsely accused, struggles to prove he's not guilty, blah, blah. Worthy of an Emmy!
1
This all feels like we’re trapped in a Dali painting: Smollett and the Barr report make as much sense as ....... nothing
3
There is corruption here. Clear evidence of guilt is already in the public domain. The Chicago top prosecutor Kim Foxx, who supposedly recused herself from the case, has ties to Smollett’s family. Her office dropped the charges. Not hard to connect the dots here. Their excuse is that they have more important cases to work on. If that were true they need to drop every case below that of a hate crime.
9
Justice for all in Cook Co (provided you have the price in your pocket of course).
So, let's where this can go by extension. Cook Co. can start advocating for higher bails ordered for those with the means to pay them. In turn, offering to dismiss charges in exchange for a voluntary forfeiture. The State's Atty can generate a nice little revenue stream for themselves under this scheme. Smollett is a bum for his part, but the State's Atty is truly the bad guy here.
2
Jussie Smollett has betrayed millions of black Americans who have been victims of racism and violence. Rather than continue to claim his innocence, he should have delivered a sincere apology to the citizens of Chicago, its police department and police superintendent Johnson. His behavior was shameful and his lack of remorse a clear indication of his low moral character.
256
@Karen J. How about an apology to white Trump supporters too?
15
@Sue. Gee, the person Karen J described sounds a lot like Trump himself! White Trump supporters owe US, the vast majority who voted for Hillary, the apology, not vice versa!
7
@Karen J.
He owes Chicago nothing. And nothing is what that city deserves.
For a major of a major US City to attack a prosecutor office like this unheard of. Maybe Mr. Emmanuel wants to run for President and takes a page from the conman in the WH currently?
2
Using the distrust of Chicago police, and the black community’s support of a person of color : this is the summation of his disgraceful behavior. He will never be punished : $10,000 and two days of community service? Sociopath.
9
Now can you please give Roseanne Barr her job back?
8
Not discussed, the time utilized by the police department on Mr. Smollett could have been used in solving or preventing other crimes. One can truly not determine the full extent of the harm he has caused by his criminal activity. He needs to be held accountable.
8
Watch "journalists" not dig too deep into this travesty of justice. They will be afraid of what they might find: Democrat corruption reaching some fairly high level people.
11
@John Xavier III anyone from the GOP using the phrase "Democrat corruption" needs to stop talking.
3
@Deana M.
Fact: the most deeply corrupt states in the Union, where corruption is not even hidden, are California, Illinois and New York. They've been that way for eons. It's a way of life in those places. Honest graft and all that. Vote early, vote often.
Although the party in power has changed from time to time, they have mostly been Democrat ... Illinois the most.
I am not part of the GOP. I used to loath Trump. Until Democrats started piling on. Until they canonized HRC and threw Bernie under the bus. Until they tried to engage in a coup. It is true that in the face of that, I can't honestly see what Trump could realistically do to lose support of people like me. Please remember that as you look through the tears of 2020.
3
@John Xavier III
The most corrupt state? New Jersey, by a long shot.
2
It's award season again...…………………...Best Performance in a Courtroom Drama -- you guessed it, Jussie Smollett.
7
For ten large Jessie goes free!
Tell me to follow the law of the land!
8
This deal of 16 FELONY charges DISMISSED smells like a payoff.
Makes Chicago look corrupt.
10
Could something nefarious be going on there?
5
Did Smollett "donate" to Operation PUSH to get JJ to call in a favor?
Wealth and privilege.
Maybe Hollywood will remember.
5
The Chicago PD have zero, I mean zero credibility. I don’t necessarily believe Smollett, I only know that I definitely don’t believe the Chicago PD.
Since Donald Trump has successfully evaded responsibility for his treason end obstruction of justice, I see no reason to prosecute Jussie for relatively minor crimes.
4
Mr. Smollett - Next time you feel compelled to play make believe, the good people of Chicago would thank you to pick another town. How about Dallas?
6
This should come as no surprise. We are a country where wealth and celebrity are what the masses hold in esteem. The days of real justice, of valuing knowledge and doing what is honorable have been dead for a long time. If you are wealthy or a celebrity you can fake a heinous crime, avoid paying taxes, murder your spouse, commit bank fraud and even bring the American economy to the brink of collapse and you will not be punished, but if you are poor and steal food for your starving family, you and your family will pay dearly. Are those hoofbeats in the distance or just the rumble of malfunctioning CPAP machine?
8
Unbelievable. Outrageous.
At least Rahm Emmanuel called this for what it is.
10
"He (prosecutor Joe Magats) also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that dropping the charges “didn’t exonerate him.” "
" “You cannot have, because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and one set of rules apply to everybody else,” Mr. Emanuel said."
Exactly. mr. Emanuel. What is acceptable for Trump, is acceptable for Smollett. No double standards here. Mr. Magats made the right decision. Lots of circumstantial evidence, but no hard proof.
@Anna What does Trump have to with this? The police had evidence if he was charged, including a fake letter, footage, and the two brothers. It was clear that they attacked him.
5
@J. G.: It was also clear that Trump said on TV that he had fired Comey, who led an investigation into Russian interference in the elections that benefitted Trump and damaged Hillary Clinton, because of the "Russia thing". That was still not considered sufficient evidence of obstruction of justice by Barr. It is still not determined by the FBI that the letter was indeed written by Smollett himself and that the two brothers acted on Smollett's direction, despite the phone calls and their saying so. They could have just lied to exonerate themselves of the attack. So in conclusion, as with Trump, there is no hard evidence, whatever the police may think, only circumstantial evidence. What is acceptable for Trump, is acceptable for every American now. The president sets the tone, remember?
The real crime is now reasonable people will doubt future allegations of racism. If this was his intention he and his fans should celebrate.
8
@Jackson
No it won't.
White people have raped, lynched, and killed Black people with impunity since we landed on these shores in chains.
The history of the Chicago, police force has a long history of these. If you want more information, read The Guardian. They've been reporting on rogue P.D. since the 60's.
1
It’s not so much that Smollet got off easy, but that other nonviolent offenders who are a nuisance but not a threat to society get off too hard. There are enough people trapped in our inhumane criminal justice system. Let’s effectively use other forms of punishment and deterrents to keep people out of jail instead of off the streets.
3
He got the "Hillary" deal.... Still, the whole exercise was a bad career move. There are a lot of fake victims running around and it doesn't help a tv show or movie to have one in the cast.
2
This is a stark demonstration of the probable outcome if the two brothers were white. There likely would not have been any investigation of Smollet and everyone would have just believed him. Also another demonstration of two systems of justice, one for the wealthy and famous, and one for the rest of us.
6
If this decision, and the manipulations behind it, are not called privilege, than the word has lost its meaning.
18
Proof positive of the poverty of identity politics.
Jussie claims to be the victim of white privilege, but common sense and reality tell us that justice fell victim to class privilege.
21
This is the American justice and the guilty one always innocent if you have a good lawyer or you know someone in the White House or the former first lady. Trump certainly has nothing to do with this guy. Who says blacks are being discriminated by whites? Whites feel helpless and hopeless.
10
@Mclean4
"He (Magats, the prosecutor) also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that dropping the charges “didn’t exonerate him.” " Kind of the same language of Barr about the Mueller report on Trump's alleged obstruction of justice. Trump and what Trump can get away with, has everything to do with this guy... Justice for Trump now sets the precedent for justice for every American. Lawyers will have many field days from now on...
1
@Mclean4
I’m white. Don’t speak for me. If I feel helpless, it’s because I believe the president is a criminal and his base is defending him, as exemplified by your comment.
If anything, this case further highlights the president’s disrespect for the rule of law by the privileged, a rising problem thanks to his bad example. It’s certainly not an example of bias against whites. The prosecutor who let Smolett off is white and the most vocal critical of the decision is black mayor Rahm Emanuel.
No, this is an example of a prosecutor ignoring the rule of law, deciding that multiple felonies can be ignored, and giving a pass to the perp. The prosecutor himself admits as much. His reward will be more crime in his city by privileged people who will follow Smollett’s example knowing that if caught, the DA is cool with it.
4
@Norwester It's pretty clesr there was no collusion though. You can't make up crimes because it's convenient.
3
Once the self-promotion scheme of racial hatred taint was exposed, the advancement of racial harmony was set back by those looking to do so, with Smollet's help. He may be off the hook but others looking to do good work in this important cause have beaten up by this hair-brained scheme.
7
Jussie Smollet owes our city a huge apology. I hope he doesn't ever come back here because Chicago will not be welcoming him with open arms.
13
All in all, not that different from an AG who tells us everything we need to know about the Mueller report without letting us find out the truth for ourselves or the wealthiest of parents who pay to get their children into this country's finest schools at the expense of those who can't or ... fill in the blank with dozens more of your own examples. None of this makes sense.
Wonder what would happen if Smollett yelled 'Fire!' in a crowded theater. God Bless America.
7
Good precedent. I don’t see Felicity Huffman as a threat to public safety either. Drug dealers aren’t a threat either because they are just middlemen in a commercial transaction.
9
This decision sends the strong message to be very skeptical of anyone claiming to be the victim of a "hate" crime.
10
Not exactly. It says that the privileged can avoid criminal punishment. Hate crimes committed against the poor and anonymous are common and rising, though in Trump’s America, the mindless base doesn’t want to believe it.
6
@Robert Howard...
Which is precicely why facts, data and statistics are so valuable and important.
Anyone who bases their thinking on information provided by Popular Culture is a fool.
1
I am relieved at this outcome for this man in this case. Why? Because the police department's public airing of the case before trial struck me as completely inappropriate and unprofessional. In fact, I would go so far as to say a trial almost seemed like a waste of money, given that the city seemed to have convicted him before he even posted bail. Why else? Because the city's police department chose to focus all of their (considerable, surely, given the murder rate in Chicago) emotional energy on this one TV actor, even if only for a minute. Falsely reporting a hate crime you supposedly setup against yourself, for no apparent reason, rates multiple news conferences and the indication of the mayor? Seriously?
@txpacotaco -- correction: "indication" should read "indignation".
I'm Pretty sure that this is going to expose an aide of Michelle Obama's. There are texts that exist between her and a higher up police person saying" I'm going to do everything I can to get this taken care of " and "I am going to ask for a favor." I wonder who she asked?
17
Wow. And all it cost him was 10K. The PR he bought with that is pretty amazing; I'd never even heard of the guy before this. And hey, I actually get to agree with the Mayor on something; priceless! And that poor police chief who now sees all of his efforts go down the drain. This reeks pretty badly.......
16
Different standards for Hollywood, yet again.
9
Just for the record, Chicago’s reputation, regarding black on black crime and police brutality, already positioned this beautiful City as an already troubled City.
If the Polixe Superintendent used that kind of energy in helping decrease the out of control crime in Chicago, then we would be headed in the right direction.
Like every major City in America, there are problems that need solving... lack of jobs. high drop out rate, crime, homelessness and other ills. Jussie only brought shame and embarrassment to himself.
Chicago, like any other City, will be resilient and survive.
First Mueller’s summary, now this. Justice in America may not be dead, but it’s on life-support.
9
Like Roseanne, this completely self centered narcissist has threatened the livelihood of 300 other hard working people, most of whom are paid far, far less than he is, by putting the future of the show he work(ed) on in jeopardy.
How can somebody who makes $50-80K, or more, per episode (roughly every 8 working days) believe they are underpaid? How disconnected from reality can a highly paid person become? How little regard can one have for all those hourly laborers that hustle 12 hours a day to support his little star turn?
I’ll not be watching anything he is cast in, ever.
17
I honestly don't know what justice exists in America anymore. Clearly this man had connections.
18
Perhaps the city of Chicago should reimburse Mr. Smollett for his legal expenses
6
Sure, if he’ll reimburse Chicago for the manpower used to investigate his bogus claims.
8
Would it be possible to use a hologram of Jussie for the rest of the season? Cc: Fox
2
Why is everyone just assuming that Smollett is guilty ? Rahm has absolutely no business huffing about over this after Laquan and the police superintendent should just get over it and turn his attention back to the war zone that is Chicago’s South side
I am totally disgusted with this smug, selfish individual who, because he is a “star,” gets special treatment. There are countless numbers of African Americans and Hispanic men and women doing time for much less. It would appear that intervention by people connected to the previous president compromised this case. State’s Attorney Kim Fox recused herself because she overstepped her authority. There are no winners here, just an embarrassment for the justice system and the city of Chicago. There are different rules for those with influence.
19
Was there this much anger at Manafort's light sentence? The cop who shot a teen 17 times was given a light sentence where was the outrage. The two cops who tried to cover up the shooting were acquitted by a judge where was The Mayor and Police Cheif? Jussie Smollett was charged with 16 felonies? if there is a charge for being a jerk he deserves it but 16 charges? When charges are dropped against Law Enforcement because of friendly DA's where is the outrage? Hearing The Mayor say this gives Chicago a black eye one has to wonder why doesn't he think the city's crime rate doesn't? I suspect the children of Chicago would rather be able to play outside in safety than being outraged about Smollet.
1
No remorse. He continues to portray himself as a victim - posing for selfies with fans, really? I'm disgusted.
19
In one fell swoop the system has encouraged a non set of "binary' rules to apply at the will of of what one conjures up according to their set of "facts'.
Mr. Smollett has won at his own game of his choosing and by his idea of "fairness". Justice and due process are for non entitled people.
2
Morton Downey Jr. did the same thing back in the 80s and he didn't go to jail either.
1
if smollett is innocent then the two brothers are guilty. the case is still open then?
4
“I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”
I do. This is the one of the most repulsive generators of racism seen in recent history. And because such racism is inherently dangerous and foul for society, Jussie Smollett is himself wildly guilty of aggravating a bad situation.
And to top that off? All charges are dropped? You can't design a more descript action leading to so much division.
This is pretty miserable and destructive.
21
I’ve been in Chicago 15 years. This is in the top 5 most corrupt things I’ve seen. Kim Foxx and her prosecutorial States Attorney team have a lot to answer for.
18
@David Really?! I lived their for 23 years and I can think of five things worse than this each year, and I think the guy should be in jail. There are 48,278 person in Illinois prisons, which are overcrowded by 50% and cost $1.4 billion dollars annually. If the DA, Chief of police and mayor didn't hype his crimes up there wouldn't be a "let down". Mort Downey Jr. did the exact same thing except the attackers were skinheads in a San Francisco airport bathroom. He didn't go to jail Did lose his TV show though
"the" actor jussie smollett (to use this paper's preferred construction for self-described actors, interior decorators, hair-dressers, et al) has been given a pass that certainly would not have been given to "a" truck driver or "an" amazon warehouse employee.
post-modernism run amok, i'd say.
11
What's all the fuss about? Goldman Sachs executives can always walk away from a mess with no charges. When did that ever make any Mayor or Cop angry?
10
Trump exonerated...the system works. Smollett exonerated...the system is broken. That is a snapshot of our criminal justice system viewed through the lens of race and class in our country.
8
Charges dropped, $10,000....but he’ll never be able to buy back a good reputation. Priceless.
14
There’s a reason the musical, CHICAGO, was set in Chicago.
7
Since the Chicago police department tainted any jury pool by their constant exploitation in the media of Mr. Smollett’s celebrity, how could he ever have gotten a fair trial? The police investigate and arrest. Then they are supposed to shut up and allow a presumption of innocence prevail during a trial. How is it that the mayor or the police believe they have the right to determine guilt and also tell prosecutors what to do? Washington is not the only place where Constitutional separation of powers and due process are threatened.
7
@Patty
The problem is, Patty, that he never GOT to trial, even with the Grand Jury investigation, because Michelle thought she knew better than law enforcement and our system of justice.
3
Justice would have been, assuming that the evidence against him is as it appears, admission of guilt, a fine commensurate to the investigation's cost and community service. He need not have the felonies remain on his record. I find this whole thing troubling -- from alleged crime to apparent whitewash. He used his fame to gain attention to his alleged beating and used the influence from his fame to escape the consequences of his apparently false accusations.
1
It’s bizarre he didn’t get charged. I’m tired of seeing his face after his lie was proven to be such. It all became clear. His lawyers can’t restore his character. He’s deeply ill psychologically. What he created shows no conscience. Let’s hope we don’t see him on Robin Roberts or anywhere but we will. He’s going to do something weird. Who will put him on TV. He could be a character in an episode of Family Guy. Please stop the comments. He probably thought he’d have a holiday named after him as well as schools, libraries and charitable organizations! He’s persona non grata. Close the comments. Please.
12
Perhaps Mr. Smollett should reimburse Chicago for all their manpower and time pursuing justice for him. I suspect manhours expense would be over six figures. Reimburse the city Mr. Smollett.
33
Please share with us how you know he is guilty. Yes, we would like to see the evidence. How about his relinquishing $10,000 when he may have done nothing wrong? How do you see it as expensive to interview him and two other men? There was no detective work, or searching for evidence, or going door to door or forensic chemistry involved. How do you know it was that expensive and how do you know he was guilty of anything except trusting the wrong people? The police excuse for a motive was that he was trying to get paid more as an actor. That is stupid and bogus. Ever heard of an actor getting paid more for being assaulted?
1
This is gross. The shameless, flagrant corruption and identity driven politics that has reached disease-minded levels. The “prosecutors” apparently see this pathological liar as the poster boy for their “resistance.” Even though he orchestrated a fake hate crime, he is still a victim in their eyes simply based on his race. Nothing about this is based on principles or logic. It’s all about deeply embedded, creepy emotions lurking in the heads of these so-called legal professionals.
28
Justice is certainly not blind! We have witnessed this in so many ways in the last few weeks! Be it politics, higher education or being a TV or movie star!
15
How much easier life is as a wealthy celebrity...
Too bad us lowly peasants can’t get this kind of treatment from the justice system.
He gives up 10k and walks away wearing clothes and accessories worth more than my car.
29
You're not helping the cause, Jussie. You're not helping the cause. In fact, this sets it back quite a few yards. Folks be all takin' a knee and doing good, and you're sabotaging that movement and several others as well. Was it really worth it for a few dollars more?
21
Maybe this will teach The Chief to not try his case in the media before a verdict is in. Anyone watching his press conference after Smollet was charged could see it was over the top. If Smollett had of been convicted would not the Chief's comments come back to haunt him on appeal? I wish public servants would not be so quick to get in front of a microphone. and hold court on cable news stations. Representative Adam Schiff comes to mind as someone who loved the microphone and now has to reget it.
2
“You cannot have, because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and one set of rules apply to everybody else,” Mr. Emanuel said.
Really? It happens every day. Why are hundreds of thousands of black men locked up in prisons for decades for crack cocaine possession vs the white powder? Why did David Petraeus receive a misdemeanor for "mishandling" classified information rather than a felony for passing classified intel to his mistress?
Why? Because there * is* a different standard and different rules.
12
no collusion... possible obstruction of justice - but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt... so, innocent of all charges
oops, wait a minute !... that's the OTHER guy...
8
The mayor suppressed a video that showed a young man being shot 17 times . Don’t remember him addressing the corruption of the police department and being upset about the numerous deaths .
However the police department worked so hard on this case. The minorities are so upset that the white mayor wasn’t consulted before the decisions were made in favor of the actor. Money and fame have always been the keys to justice in America.
4
The mayor of Chicago is BLACK!
Why would you take a case to a grand jury get indictment and then the same people who took it to the grand jury in the first place say "never mind". Something else is going on.
20
I am relieved to see him given a second chance even if he guilty. He is so young — and yes— he likely made a series of foolish choices in breaking the law—but he’s got a big family who love him —and they are going to get him the help he needs — to get on the right track. Prison would have done — none of that — prison may have even killed him. I am glad he was shown mercy. Wish others like him got mercy, too.
53
@Garry
@Garry - I can't tell if you are being factitious. 36 years old is "so young"? 36 was my best age. When do you expect people to take responsibility for their actions?
98
@Garry
He is acting like he is innocent.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was given a deal to ...now say he is innocent.
He needs ALOT of help.
He is acting like Trump.
40
@Jane Saulnier
36 is adult if you are white or Asian but remember, there are groups that need perpetual guidance and assistance through affirmative action. For those groups, age is just a number and doesn’t indicates anything else.
39
I lived in Chicago for 35 years and there is a reason it is still considered the most corrupt city in the country. The column doesn't include the fact that the court records were sealed within minutes of the "agreement."
Only in Chicago.
28
It was consistent with other cases where deft. Had no prior and was not considered to be a threat to the community. It was The Chicago PD, the mayor,the president who were political that initially got the “book”thrown at him. He probably lost iscareer that enough punishment.
1
@richard
No, losing his career is not punishment enough. He deserved a felony conviction and prison time. This is not consistent with any other cases because there are no other similar cases; cases with national attention in which a self-absorbed liar cost a city millions of dollars by taking advantage of deep racial and political divides and falsely reported a hate crime. This is a travesty on every level.
5
“In our experience, innocent individuals don’t forget bond & perform community service in exchange for dropped charges.”
This is an infuriating comment for a police spokesman to say. I do not mean for this to be a comment on Smollett, I’m not even sure he took a formal deal, but innocent people accept plea deals ALL THE TIME.
Often these innocent people have to rely on an overwhelmed public defender, the charges against them have been trumped up, and they are told that accepting a plea is the only way they can go home to their families anytime soon. So they accept fines, community service, shorter jail sentences, and the burden of life with a criminal record... All for a crime they never committed.
Again, this is obviously not Smollett’s situation. But it still makes me angry that a police spokesman would so casually claim this is not what “innocent” people do.
7
There is a lack of logic here. Either it happened the way Mr. Smollett claims and the Nigerian brothers should be prosecuted or it happened the way the police described. Is there something in the middle? Meanwhile, the AG is saying that community service was required and the Smollett camp is saying it wasn't, he just hangs with Jesse Jackson anyway. There is simply a series of disconnects. My guess is they are intentional.
12
@Edgar. Yes. Middle ground is this: Smollett lied about the attack but evidence wasn’t as tidy as the brothers said. The police wanting some nice clean evidence against a guy who was clearly guilty and wasted their time pressured the brothers into saying that the money paid to them was for the hoax when really it wasn’t. Maybe they were being paid for actual training services but in the hopes of getting in good with Smollett they agreed to the whole hoax. Maybe their was evidence of this and the cops hid it. So now the prosecutors have a messy case on their hands. And that’s why the case is dropped. I’m purely speculating here. But it is a middle ground.
6
What a fiasco the police press conference was - why on earth would they repeat an accusation of Smollett scheming to get paid more by staging the attack? They heard that from the brothers who were involved in the assault and decided, what, they were reliable sources for discerning a motive?
My guess is Smollett has been getting MAGA death threats over and over and the police did zip about it, so he staged the attack to get them to take action. The police have no one but themselves to blame for botching this prosecution. They should never have tried him in the press, and they botched even that by repeating a heresay motive - leaving them wide open to a defamation lawsuit. And people wonder why there is a crime problem in Chicago with these people running the show.
2
Let's look at this even a little objectively.
Jesse Smollett reported this to the police as a crime being committed against him. He reported this as the victim.
What would have been the number of counts brought against those who would have hypothetically beat him? 1 or 2 accounts of assault with a weapon or aggravated assault? The potential for hate crime was there, but really? The sentence would not have been heavy, given the injuries.
So for the police to turn around and, in a press conference, announce that Smollett was now going to get charged, and then with 16 counts for reporting a crime, come on.
Prosecutors really, really frown on charging people who come in to report crimes. Why? Because we want people to feel safe coming in and reporting crimes, especially people from vulnerable areas, people in domestic violence situations, people from demographics who are not normally comfortable with police or have a history of mutual mistrust.
How does it look to them to have a potential victim be charged with an exponential number of crimes more than the potential perpetrator would be charged? It doesn't make sense.
It also reflects a culture of revenge that doesn't seek to create trust, but to create perfection, and punish those who can't achieve it.
None of this ever had to happen. None of it.
3
This proves what I have been saying for years. The privileged, wealthy class gets as much justice as they can afford. The rest of us get incarcerated.
19
And at a certain level of wealth and celebrity, skin color and sexual preference, have nothing to do with the preferential treatment you receive.
All money is green and apparently there is no bad publicity.
2
Let’s not waste more time on Smollett.
I would rather hear some outrage from Mayor Emanuel about the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald, the minimal sentence the Chicago police officer received after shooting him 16 times which was covered up for a year, and the follow up DOJ report that described Chicago PD as having a culture of “excessive violence” towards minority suspects. And for those that are worried about money, Chicago paid out millions in a settlement to McDonald’s family.
8
prosecutor's office needed to recuse themselves from any decision.
5
Re: the court/judicial records in the case allegedly being sealed, I have no idea if it’s the reason, but perhaps when charges are dropped this is routine in some jurisdictions?
After all, if an average person (especially someone that doesn’t make it into national newspapers) was truly innocent of something but was erroneously charged/indicted, but the charges were later dropped, would one want all the various detailed legal records available to the public? It could harm all kinds of prospects such as employment, housing etc.
I admittedly don’t know the deal with arrest records- lots of commercial wen sites seem to aggregate arrest records & I fear they keep them up whether the person is charged or not. I don’t know what various individual jurisdictions do with online arrest records in cases where no charges are ever filed or they’re dropped.
I could surely be wrong, but I think I’ve read that in Europe there are some rules requiring internet service providers to remove (at the request of an individual) any info regarding one’s criminal history. The ISP’s may even have to remove newspaper reports on certain charges, cases, etc. too. It may be after they’ve completed their service in some cases, or if no charges, or dropped charges or whatever. I don’t know.
I never thought I would see the day that I agreed with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Maybe there is some hope in bringing this divided country together
19
$10k and no criminal record but worldwide publicity? Worth every cent if you have aspirations to 15 minutes of fame. Now he just waits for the movie deal, book deal, interview deal, appearance fees to come rolling in. And of course his TV show will rate through the roof for a few episodes. It's all about the Benjamins, baby. Unless of course the Feds come knocking about that little mail fraud problem...
18
Mr. Smollett did not fire the Cook County Attorney nor seek the assistance of hostile intelligence agencies for advancement. I'm OK with him getting a break. Chicago has bigger fish to fry now. Besides, it's somewhat nice to observe that the law will occasionally reserve a break to a person that's not white.
6
I think the bigger issue is the validity of information in general. It feels like we get partial information which leads to misinformation. The “first to market” strategy by the swarm of cell phone journalists creates public momentum towards a conclusion without all of the facts. I just hope the real journalists survive the new age of misinformation. It is hard to differentiate between what is real and what is half real.
7
We, the tax-paying public, deserve an explanation.
22
Ahm ... no. Unless you pay tax in Chicago - and than even if so, there are hardly explanations given for the hundreds of decisions prosecutors make every day.
Social media is not yet running everything. Nor are oligarchs or Mr. Emmanuel?
2
To me there’s really only one scenario that makes any sense. This is that police tried to “ frame” a guilty man. This can happen when someone is obviously guilty but the evidence isn’t as great as one would hope. So the police decide to “ improve “ on the evidence. Move things, say things in their report that they didn’t really see, intimidate witnesses to say damaging stuff, hide any evidence that might help the defendant. It’s most likely to happen when the police are mad because the crime is egregious or our the police in danger or live here wasted their time.
Perhaps the prosecutor found evidence that this happened and thus dropped the case.
I admit it’s not the likeliest scenario but to me the only one that I can fathom.
7
It seems Joe Magats who took over the case from the first African American Cooks County State attorney, recently elected Kimberley Foxx, after she curiously recused herself from the Smollett case without boldly identifying which witnesses she knew, is an assistant State Attorney who has had a job in the State Attorney’s office for 25 years. As State Attorney, Ms. Foxx has been active exonerating victims of police brutality. Justice can break down from the right or from the left, whenever citizens are not treated equally. If people are scratching their heads over this surprising decision and the conflicting messages of its conditions ( forfeiture of bail), it’s because a leap of the imagination is required, not mere logic. This office owes more clarity and transparency to the citizens of Chicago.
9
Liberals on parade! Take note, America!
How many episodes of the rich and famous getting away with crimes are going to occur before the American people en masse begin to trample on the Rule of Law, themselves? This has always been the goal of the radical Left, to bring down our system. The Cook County State's Attorney and prosecutor should be ridden out on a rail. Any prisoner who is in jail in Cook County for equal or lesser charges than Mr. Smollett committed should be released immediately.
24
Equal or lesser charges to what, making up a story to the polce? Radical left; what are you even talking about? And 15 people like your comment. God help us.
5
The rich and famous getting away with crimes? Oh, you must be talking about our beloved president.
1. I wish Mayor Emanuel had been this outraged after the police shooting of Laquan McDonald; instead he and his office played key roles in the one-year delay of the release of the video that proved the police were lying about the events leading to Mr. McDonald's death; and
2. Kalief Browder spent three years in Riker's Island, two of them in solitary confinement, for allegedly stealing a backpack; he was never tried or convicted; and soon after his release, he committed suicide.
14
@ geojaneiro
The second paragraph in your comment is one of the saddest I read in some time. RIP.
2
Like many others, I’m also gay, and I also find this to be a gross miscarriage of justice. And, like other events in the news in America recently, we’re seeing example after example of cases where the ideal of democracy, sadly, doesn’t quite live up to its promise.
28
So...did he get his desired raise?
16
Considering the incredible potential for violence and further division that this malicious self centered act could have created. And the mountain of evidence the Chicago police had collected to prove their case. It is outrageous that this spoiled baby man, who is so self centered that he would potentially inflame massive violence and division for his own benefit, might now be considered anybody's hero? Can we sink any lower?
34
He lied to the police. Do you really think that every individual who has lied to cop should go to jail? "No, officer I was only going forty five". Let it go.
1
I don't know if these charges should have been dropped completely, but come on. Sixteen felonies for filing a false police report? This is just one more example of the egregious prosecutorial overreach that has become so common we accept it as ordinary. There are reasons we lock up seven times more Americans than the average of Europe. This is one of them.
135
@Bob
Don't forget the federal mail fraud charges. The G likes to catch bad guys stealing and lying thru the mails.
6
@Bob Totally disagree with you. Smollett committed an outrageous and despicable crime. He didn’t just file a false police report. In lying about a serious felony, he took advantage of deep racial and political divides in our country for his own personal gain and vanity and cost the City of Chicago tens of millions of dollars and resources that could have been directed towards real crimes. Assuming the allegations against him are true, he absolutely deserved a felony conviction and prison time.
66
@Bob
No apology ? I'm not suggesting jail time but 10.000 for a guy like that is peanuts.
25
So the moral of this story is that we should prosecute first and press conference later, right?
Right?
Right?
3
Hate to say it.
He got fifty to a hundred million dollars of free publicity out of it.
He went from unknown to well known.
The Big Loser is the Prosecutor.
She is up for election in 2020 and a Republican just might win.
That's because Trump's Justice Department is going to get in on this case and everybody, including the prosecutors and judge, are going to be going before a federal grand jury.
This is going to stay in the papers until election time.
9
Whatever the truth of the matter really is, I've never understood how a faked attack was supposed to turn into a better salary?
4
What’s his privilege?
4
Someone is being lazy in all of this. The prosecutor.
1
What if Jussie is telling the truth and the Brothers planned to rob him? He gave them the check for the personal training, they probably figured they could jump him and get something else from him too. The calls would make sense, they probably chatted before he went out, they had an idea about where he was going to be, jumped him, then they spoke again later and acted like they were surprised, LOL!
tl;dr: Jussie might be right!
1
@Joe T. Did you read the article? Here is just one quote: "According to the police, phone records showed that Mr. Smollett spoke to the brothers an hour before he said the attack took place, and then an hour afterward."
12
I left Chicago several decades ago and this case reminds me of one of the main reasons I left: the government is so crooked that it has to look up just to find Louisiana.
16
This is a total outrage, a shame upon our legal system. How can anyone have faith in justice, the rule of law, when Jussie Smollett walks away from his $10,000 bond and the crimes he is accused of, still publicly claiming he has been telling the truth all along? Meanwhile, what of the Nigerian brothers? Clearly a crime was committed, with damage writ large, against our entire society. Why will no one pay for it? Who is behind this miscarriage of justice, and why?
268
@Leon I don't know if he was guilty or innocent but I for one am fed up with celebrity and money placing some above the law. We have one system of justice for the rich and powerful and another for the poor and underprivileged. It's just wrong.
36
@Leon - What happened, did the two guys change their story? Give them a lie detector test to see if they were paid to ruff up Jussie Smollett. The Nigerian brothers are US Citizens, born here, I believe.
2
@Steve
Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo are Nigerian immigrants.
When cops get acquitted for shooting unarmed and fleeing suspects, the justice system works as intended. When a celebrity creates non violent hoax, it’s broken.
4
This is unbelievable. At first I thought there was some fatal flaw in the police investigation, but no, no one is claiming that. Likely because the police were extremely careful to investigate this hoax from the beginning with absolute deference to Smollett’s account, despite the claims being ridiculous from the beginning.
If only an investigative reporter (are there any left?) would do some journalism on this embarrassment of a deal : who were the power players involved, what did they do, where/when/how did these machinations occur?
In the meantime we can only hope that the FBI investigation that Smollett’s family demanded is not also rigged.
20
@MJC "Who were the power players involved?"
Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama's chief of staff. Google it.
1
You could argue this was a victimless crime, but I’m not so sure. Stirring up racial tension Is dangerous and very well might have lead to many victims. I think Smollett should face some consequences for that.
Blind justice may deny it, but I would be very curious to know how much of this decision was based on Smollett’s popularity and Hollywood star status.
17
@Mr. Adams
No Sir, this is not victimless. He was ready to identify the perpetrators and would most likely have identified some random innocent person. That person would have been behind the bars had the true story not come out.
He sickens me.
5
i wonder how many pretty faces or rich folks will go to jail over the college scandal cases? will the rich kids get to stay in the college that their folks paid thousands to get them into? will the rich kids go scot free and get the benefit of the parents' illegal acts?
of course, the poor dreamers and other immigrants will get deported because they "broke the law".
does anyone see this coming?
8
Wrongs don't make rights. That the Chicago Police have miscarried justice in the past, engaged in wrongdoing including abusing prisoners and targeting young black men, means that those issues should be addressed. Jussie Smollet is a liar and the hoax he tried to pull off was a complete farce. He is not the person to counter-weigh against past misconduct of police and city officials in Chicago. This is a ludicrous outcome. But I guess Jussie can call up OJ because I suspect that the "real killers" of Nicole Brown Simpson are the same ones who pole-axed Jussie with glancing scratches. Finally, Jussie has some serious mental health issues (pathological lying, grandiosity, narcissism, perhaps a drinking problem), now all of these go unaddressed.
17
This why I have maintained to those who insist that inequality under the law and the justice system is a black-white divide, that it's really a rich-poor divide. A wealthy black man has a much better chance to be exonerated and not serve than a poor white man.
26
If this trend continues, Billy McFarland will soon be a free man.
Bonfire of the Vanities but with a good outcome for the bad guy.
7
Hummmmm.......maybe the prosecution had 80% proof but couldn't indict? Same thing with the Mueller.
Release Mueller's report.
4
The state’s attorney took the case to a grand jury. The grand jury made the indictments and the SA signed off on them.
10
Pardon me but the grand jury already indicted him!!! Duh
9
He’s a sick puppy. We’ll be hearing other things about him sooner or later, other messes he manages to get himself into. It’s part of a pattern of running away from reality until it hits you in the face.
12
Exactly. No matter how he tiptoes the pathology is built in. He will have problems. Also there are some talented people on the terrible show that see what we see and dint want his rib off on them.
1
This is crazy. He’s claiming he was honest “on every level” when he was blatantly caught out making false claims to police and the community at large! The statement from FOX makes it sound like he’s been found innocent, but nothing of the kind happened! He’s not even contrite for the time and money wasted, his lies or the offense to those people who have suffered from hate crimes. I can’t understand why it’s ok to drop all charges without at least a guilty plea.
16
@Jennifer Showe If you are not charged with a crime, there is no need to be "found innocent." He is innocent, period, in the eyes of the law.
I can tell you that prior to the now infamous news of his purported hate crime, I had never heard of the guy. And, I think that is the larger point.
13
What is confusing is the prosecutor saying charges were dropped as part of settlement and Smollett saying he is innocent and acting like he has been found not guilty. On Law and Order, there are scenes where the accused confesses their crime and expresses remorse as part of settling. Is this just TV?
5
The state attorney most responsible for the decision to drop the charges made it absolutely clear that Smollett was not vindicated!
6
Perhaps he should soon run for President. One's past is of little concern when seeking or serving in that office.
3
All the cops that get away with killing black people with visual evidence abundant and still get off....I am good with this decision. Here's to more!
1
Yes, two wrongs always make a right.
1
During the course of this case there have been so many that had expressed their racial views front and center. I guess at the end of the day it's not about race at all, it's about celebrity and wealthy privilege.
571
@D I disagree, it IS about race. If this were a white man who sent himself threatening letters, and claiming two blacks beat him up, you can bet the bank Chicago wouldn't have let him go with nary a slap on the wrist.
66
@D
I agree with Sue. There is zero chance a white man falsely accusing black attackers would walk this way.
And if it did happen, you can be sure the protests would be massive.
This affront to justice is telling at many levels.
8
@D The only person who made it about race was Smollett himself.
1
Outrageous! Not only is he let off the hook for "community service" and "forfeiting his bond" but he gets to have his spokesperson perpetuate the lie that he was attacked by two unidentified people. Meanwhile, he gets away with the reckless claims he made. No apology. No responsibility. Just another example of power, status and celebrity trumping truth.
1024
Isn’t this situation the reason we have courts, juries and judges?
26
@William Kinney
If not required to admit guilt, he should at least be denied to continue to claim his innocence and perpetuate the fabrication that started this all.
37
@From Where I Sit, I, for one, have lost the faith I ever had in the legal/justice system. Our country has been blown up by the current "administration" and I no longer have any faith in it, in the government, the legal system. It's all crooked.
35
I had to turn off the video of Mr. Smollett. Couldn't stand to look at him. I can't imagine he will have much of a future after this.
15
From what I have read in light of this sham decision by the Chicago D.A., the FBI is continuing its investigation of this supposed hate crime. The truth will surface one hopes and Smollett will see his day in federal court. Community service and bond forfeit will likely not be on the table if they bring forth an indictment. What goes around...
11
His purported innocence should have been tried openly in a court of law. That the judge sealed the case is disturbing. What are they hiding?
10
The Cook County DA Kimberly Foxx probably did this in response to Mueller’s report which concludes that no charges should be brought against DJT. Interestingly, the DA’s office confirmed that ‘this dismissal of the charges does not exonerate Mr. Smollett.’ The same wording was in Barr’s summary to Congress. In Ms. Foxx’s mind, Trump got off the hook and so she let Smollett go. Unfortunately, this type of behavior by a prosecutor of a major city is likely to erode people’s trust and confidence in the judicial system. This type of selective dismissals is fairly common in third world countries but it seems now that it has reached the US shores as well.
7
@Henry V
She did it because of the "message" that Michelle was unhappy. Can't have that, can we?
1
Who pays $10,000 if they are innocent? What about all the non-violent prisoners wasting away in prison for a felony or felonies? Nothing can better demonstrate a two-tiered legal system that is unjust and that often favors the wealthy. Such injustice is not conducive to a democratic republic where trust in the legal system is a necessary ingredient to societal cohesion. In my personal opinion, politicians, stars and the wealthy who are able to avoid real punishment for their alleged crimes (Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Smollett, Mr. Epstein in Florida are three examples of politician, Hollywood star, and wealthy investor) only make more Americans distrust the system. This cannot be good for the future.
9
Surprising outcome after all the media hoopla.
However, this actor's poor choices did have negative consequences.
Not only did he lose his crowd pleasing acting job, but also the salary he thought was not enough.
Not to mention his reputation that will affect his future.
With all the crowded courts, I guess they decided these were punishments enough.
1
I usually have no opinion when it comes to crimes I did not witness and for which there is no videotape.
That said, on this one, it is hard not to take a position.
1) I am assuming on this one he is getting off on a technicality of some nature.
2) No-one hangs around in the 2am Arctic-cold on a Chicago winters night, on the OFF-CHANCE that a particular Hollywood actor is going to get a sandwich in the middle of the night.
No-one.
That said, if they cannot convict him, they cannot convict him,
But I still can never believe his story.
11
Now we will know if someone in this actor’s life really cares about him and tells him to seek psychological help right away.
Although chances are, all will be telling him to go for the Benjamins via the usual media money making machine starting with the interview circus.
3
I don't think the deal was particularly unusual. However, as the defendant you take the deal and walk away. No proclamations of innocence or warnings against "rushing to justice." And Rahm, your behavior with respect to the Laquan Mcdonald case leaves you no room to comment. at all.
2
I am reminded of the numerous times that police have been called on black people just going about their normal day. With one exception, there have never been any consequences. Personally, I'm not upset with this outcome.
12
@kalix1
You raise an extremely important point. Why haven’t these white people (How often are they Asian or Hispanic?) who made false claims against innocent blacks been charged; and maybe with16 felonies per false filing?
4
@kalix1
Of course you’re not.
The “system” owed him.
That’s it, right?
8
@Oceanviewer
“These white people”: which white people? Who?
6
Maybe someone had the presence of mind to realize that putting a popular, talented black man in prison for a mistake like this would be an ugly use of a criminal justice system that seems to have just set up the reelection of a crook and traitor as president.
5
Maybe the state's attorney did us all a favor - decent chance Chicago would have seen burning and riots with any sort of conviction.
5
@Dan Why? The black community there was as outraged by this prank as everyone else — more so, it seems.
7
Smollett is guilty and a bald faced liar just as Trump is guilty and a liar. The dropping of the case doesn’t exonerate him just as Mueller’s report doesn’t exonerate Trump.
15
This smells bad... so bad. Jussie apparently conspired to build up racial hatred and discordance among the citizens by staged actions that makes this society more dangerous to live. The prosecutor should be held responsible and reprimanded for this blunder.
33
Whoever said there are no second acts in life? Smollet already had Act One prepared in which he would be the toast of the academy awards with one recipient after another raising his statuette in the air “for Jussie.” But now miraculously he has another chance, and he can once again portray himself as a martyr with a noose around his neck. But we need to know who was his saving angel. Who made the phone call? Because in real life there are no miracles after all.
13
He can still face federal charges. Here’s to that!!!
17
Justice perverted by prosecutors acting as jury and judge.
And strange that, if innocent, the accused leaves behind a lot of money and agrees to community service.
But the irony is terrific: rich white parents who gamed the system get caught and face criminal charges; a rich black celebrity played games for self-enrichment and gets off. Is this what is meant by (judicial) reparations?
12
@Michael L Hays We'll see whether or not any parents serve time.
2
#JussieSmollett
The offenses that he was charged with were certainly not highway murder by any means.
However, this staging-of-a- hate-crime hoax is a really odd thing, and you have to wonder if he needs emotional or psychiatric help?Hate crimes are very serious, and grand jury indictments are also serious.
It was also odd that the decision to show mercy to Smollett and NOT prosecute was not shared in advance with the police chief or mayor...WHY not?
Without explanation or apology from him of some sort regarding this very strange episode, people are going to wonder and scratch their heads. I do not think it will be helpful to his career in any way UNLESS he does clarify the matter.
7
In a nutshell, this is why inner cities are failing and productive citizens fleeing, lack of rule of law and high tolerance for crime
24
This is unbelievable. At first I thought “could the police investigation have been flawed in some way to lead to this”.? But no, no-one is claiming that and the police had no idea this deal hasn’t been reached.
Maybe journalists will actually investigate this and find out who pulled strings, who the power players involved were, and how this blatant, ludicrous travesty occurred.
Meanwhile, Chicago has been played. It, and we, can only hope that the FBI investigation is not rigged abs well.
18
It seems that most have inferred from Mr Smollett's actions that a conspiracy was committed that traded on the reputation of Chicago, and this latest action by the City hardly retifies the situation.
I thought part of the process for which a deal is 'cut' with the court was an acknowledgement of guilt or responsibility?
How does Mr Smollett's nutty self serving statement refuting the facts accomplish justice for the people of Chicago?
16
Justice is never blind when it comes to rich and famous celebrities who for the most part receive far more favorable treatment by our justice system than ordinary people. The Jusse Smollett saga is an extreme example of this and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois needs to launch a public corruption inquiry to identify how a 16 indictment list of charges is suddenly and mysteriously dismissed and all of the supporting details of the alleged crimes are sealed/deleted from the States Attorney's information systems. The public needs to have confidence in the viability of our system of justice and the outcome of high profile cases like this will erode that confidence and further polarize our already divided society.
18
Illinois the only state where the governor makes your license plate.
18
So much excitement about the lack of conviction for an unknown actor (amongst the majority of what's left of "americans.") Yet, the real tv reality actor fraud got off just two days ago. And he visits the white house once in a while. Geez.
6
Take it easy, Tom. You don't have to find a way to take a shot at Trump every chance you get.
13
So very many commenters are certain that Smollett is guilty; and, of course, that applies to all 16 felony charges.
I’m willing to bet that almost no one can, without a Google search, name those same 16 charges that were filed against him.
We don't even know all of the facts surrounding the case.
But hey, for most, it's “Hang ‘em high!(Figuratively speaking).”
3
@Oceanviewer
We could find out all the facts if the case went to trial.
But there is justice for money people and justice for the poor.
14
@Oceanviwer We don’t know all the facts in the case but the grand jury who indicted him did.
6
@Oceanviewer Then how about Jussie ask to unseal all the evidence? If he didn't do it then there is nothing to hide.
3
This is a disgusting turn of events. There were about 25 detectives assigned to this case, one that seemed fictional from the beginning. Who believes Chicago is MAGA country? Who goes out for a sandwich at 2 AM during the Polar Vortex? Who writes a check to the attackers? Jesse is bragging he is innocent when those of us who have followed the case recognize a celebrity bail-out when we see one. He cost us hundreds of thousands, hurt our reputation and diverted police from deserving cases. He deserves a tanked career.
30
I remain perplexed as to who this guy is.
12
How many of the same people objecting to 'prosecutorial discretion' in this case are happy and satisfied that there is "no obstruction" and "no collusion" for Trump?
Not really any surprises here... nor is hypocrisy something new.
1
@Jim Brokaw Apparently you didn’t see the video of his supposed attackers buy the rope and gloves? Or read the reports of their confession that he paid them with a personal check to perpetrate the supposed crime. From the time of the attack he was followed by cameras all over the city and ring doorbells which captures the time line. Hardly a comparison to your Trump hating comment.
7
Where is Mueller when you need him? This one has the former First Lady’s fingerprints all over it. Chicago remains the premiere den of inequity with little competition since the Daley nightmarish regime. “Mr. Smollett, who is black, gay and outspoken…” That says it all in the corrupt leftist world of justice for some we have regressed to. Case closed. Let the guilty go free to continue to divide and pollute.
16
This shows the power of being wealthy or famous. No middle class or poor perpetrator of a criminal act of this type would have for away with forfeiting bail that was chump change to the person and community service. And with no criminal record.
More the pity as a meaningful bail forfeiture (which for most others comparatively would be $50-$1.500 at most given how much this actor earns) and community service without a criminal record would provide better restorative justice to be kid riding his bike on the sidewalk, the young person shoplifting baby diapers and formula, or the addict who walks he street with his addiction in his pocket.
5
Congratulations to the Mayor of Chicago for his recognition that there are two justice systems - one for rich white men and another for black men and poor people of all colors. Smollett had the money and the celebrity to get a good outcome. If convicted of the 16 charges against him he may have had to spend more time in jail than Paul Manafort. At least he was not murdered by the police. Where was the Mayor's outrage for Laquan McDonald as he sat on the video of the murderous police officer? The legal outcome was just based on the offense. Smollett is already convicted in the public's eye and will not recover his reputation.
2
Would anyone else who did this (and has the same type of background record) be treated the same way with community service and their bail/bond money being forfeited? If so, no issue here. If not, WHY???
11
Conveniently timed to overshadow the uncomfortable Mueller debacle.....knocking that misery off the front pages.
6
If he was white, everyone would call it white privilege but since he is not, it's "celebrity and fame"
12
Good god. So if you are in Chicago and have money.... is the cook county prosecuter elected office or appointed.? Ridiculous
8
Aside from the obvious fact that what he did was ridiculous and appalling, I still found an eerie expression of delight in Mayor Emanuel’s face as he droned on and on about his *outrage.*
Let’s just say this: had it been a straight actress who pulled such a stunt, there would not be this endless talk that “now women victims of crimes would face skepticism.”
Straight males in positions of authority do not consider gay men and their issues and vulnerabilities and strengths and fall ability in remotely the same manner as they do women. Period.
I think we need to drop the “white” from white-privileged. It’s just privilege. It doesn’t matter if you’re named Don or Jussie...money talks.
18
The state and the Feds can't both go after him. Wait to see what the Feds do. That may explain everything.
2
Prosecutorial misconduct is the only explanation for this bizarre turn of events. Expect at least one resignation in the coming days.
11
Mr. Smollett ruined his career. He should have faced charges, but there is a good chance his acting and entertainment career is over.
Unfortunately, aside from his career, he has negatively affected gay rights, especially with the resurgence of right wing Bible-toting homophobes.
7
It's difficult to believe that a case of this high profile was dropped without outside influence being brought to bear.
14
He's done. He'll never have what he had in the past and deservingly so.
10
@John Hays He will be hosting SNL in 3 weeks.
4
This dismissal was absolutely inappropriate. He committed a brazen crime intended to divide America and which ran the risk of ruining lives had suspects been wrongfully arrested. He needed to stand trial. The time for mercy is during the sentencing.
13
How much money does Fox and associates spend filming in Chicago? Enough to buy some criminal a whole lot of "justice!"
3
Kim Foxx's vision: "transforming the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office into a fairer, more forward-thinking agency focused on rebuilding the public trust, promoting transparency, and being proactive in making all communities safe." After almost three years, has she succeeded? Which part of this vision does Mr. Smollett fit into?
6
What rationale to the prosecutor give for dropping the charges? I could understand a plea deal, but this makes no sense.
10
I would not be surprised at all if all charges are dropped against Felicity Huffman and the other wealthy and/or popular defendants in the recent education scandal.
It doesn't matter how you act in life, it's who you know that's important.
We shall see.
10
Who would have thought - in the justice system, money also talks. If you can afford a good lawyer, you'll get a good outcome. It's all about the Benjamins, right?
11
Equally troubling is how many associated with his show are tweeting that they knew he wasn’t guilty all along. The writers even sent out a winky face and the production company tweeted its support. Well they are all wealthy celebrities so i guess they are celebrating their privilege.
16
Not a violent crime so no need to prosecute. Wow. Illegal Sanctuary cities, illegal marijuana, Trump off the hook and now this joker. This guy mailed white powder through the USPS. That is a terrorist act as that’s supposed simulate anthrax. People are sitting in jail for YEARS for that.
As a citizen what I hear is “ There Is No Law”.
“Federal Law Enforcement is A Joke.”
“Get away with what you can.”
“Personal Responsibility and Good Character are for the Fishes.”
What are kids and young people hearing?
The only bright spot has been the college admission scandal... let’s see if anyone actually gets prosecuted.
9
Keep Your Eye on the Ball:
A black man receives White Justice and the people in power are horrified. What o the powerful do? Ignore the existence of White Justice and squawk about unfairness in order to convince people to focus on this "injustice" rather than White Justice and all injustice.
4
@Robert Shirley - No. A rich man received rich man justice. Take your petty racial politics elsewhere.
18
@Robert Shirley
If anything this demonstrates injustice doesn't give one hoot for your identity fixation.
2
Well he's lived an otherwise blameless life, so I guess he can get the Manafort treatment.
7
Given the racial fire storm that Smollett could have ignited with his duplicity, I am thinking that cheating college parents should receive a slap on the wrist. What's worse: Photoshopping your kid onto a rowing team, or showing up to a police station with a noose around your neck, falsely claiming to have been beaten? I sincerely think I'm turning off the news, so I have a better shot at pretending that I live in any kind of sane, vaguely moral universe.
25
The result is a gross sham. The state prosecutor earlier recused herself because she was texting Smullet’s family trying to get the case transferred to the FBI. What the heck?!
I have no problem giving someone second chances or a slap on the wrist for a nonviolent crime. But the fact that Smollett and his attorney are, apparently, still bald faced lying about the deal that was struck tells you all you need to know about their character.
This reeks of corruption. The slap on the wrist should have gone with an admission and an apology. Instead he had the royal treatment rolled out for him like he was a royal staying at the Waldorf. The state’s attorney did all but apologize for his inconvenience and ask him to rate his customer experience in a survey.
21
In an era of partisan divide, we finally have an issue that unites 99% of America.
20
Justice serves the perpetrators of crime also. They do their time and must be forgiven. Jussie will never serve his time. He will never regain the respect of his fellow Americans. He will never be free by not going to jail.
9
I am a former Brooklyn assistant district attorney
I now am a criminal defense attorney
Was his case deferred by the district attorney?
If it was, then the deal is normal
Just the fine should’ve been substantially higher
Because he forfeited bail,
He promised something
To live a law abiding life
Simple
1
Crime definitely pays in 2019. Every single day of the week.
Unreal.
8
Doesn’t anyone read Scott Turow? This is Cook County!
Rahm Emanuel is retiring, so he’s a lame duck. And the Chief Prosecutor may be interested in replacing him, or aiming for statewide office. By declining to prosecute, he gains currency with some, while proclaiming his “exercise of discretion” in not pursuing a non-violent, victimless (aside from the reputations of city officials) crime.
Cynical, I suppose, but maybe less so in Chicago.
4
Something is clearly wrong with Jussie Smollett. Whatever that is will probably surface again.
If he doesn't have people in his life who can be straight with him and push him to get help, he will continue to ruin his own life, waste other people's time and money, and not be a positive force in this world.
That is a shame.
8
I think we should be looking into Joe Magats political history. Is he a Trump supporter? A fake attack reported by "fake" news will allow Trump to appear magnanimous when he publicly says he agrees with the decision. Also a chance to condescend to Obama's home town and Rahm Emmanuel.
But Magats also may have his own reasons for letting Smollett rub Chicago's nose in it. In any event, it is the stupidest decision a prosecutor could make by letting Smollett walk without as much as an apology. If it "didn't exonerate him, why is there no contrition in Smollett address to his air-headed fans?
2
The Times omitted a key fact from their story. Chicago media reported some time ago that Tina Tchen who worked in the Obama White House (I believe she was Mrs. Obama’s chief of staff) emailed Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on behalf of Jussie and his family. According to media reports, Tchen asked Foxx to transfer the case to the FBI. Copies of the emails were published. Foxx recused herself as a result.
Also, in an interview just broadcast on WGN, the first assistant state’s attorney acknowledged that Smollett’s “community service” consisted of 16 hours at Rainbow Push Coalition, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s organization.
Chicago is Chicago. The fix was in.
36
This is wrong on every level
There is no mystery why anger and resentment are fueling the white nationalist movement
11
@ann Dempsey What are you talking about? As if the American legal and political norm is for black people to walk away from legal accountability with total impunity.
Criminally absurd!
2
@ann Dempsey What you are saying is absurd. Blame corporate greed, and the dumb politics (like yours) that enables them.
2
So, he is now denying that the CRIME ever happend? This is sickening as it is infurating; and I am black myself, and not in the habit of bashing celebrities and rich people. But this is gross.
21
TMZ reported some time ago that anonymous FBI sources indicated that the CPD was probably overstating its case.
So, why are so many shocked by the turn of events?
Who would have thought that the historically racist and corrupt CPD would make such egregious errors against a Black man?
Jussie Smollett Feds Dispute Police Superintendent ... Not Certain Jussie Wrote Letter
https://www.tmz.com/2019/02/22/jussie-smollett-letter-police-chief-superintendent-fbi/
1
Was the entire bond forfeited, or just the 10% cash needed in some jurisdictions to obtain release?
2
$10,000.00?
He got off cheap.
8
"Justice is arbitrary." Quote from an attorney in the documentary "The Case Against Adnan Syed." No truer words have been spoken about the American justice system.
3
I ask what is difference between Mueller dropping charges on Trump and this man Smollett? They both committed offenses which could not be proven in court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Trump did not even pay a fine.
3
@Shrid it’s called a grand jury. It reviewed the evidence against Smutlette and returned 16 indictments.
5
Money changed hands?
4
Mr. Smollet is the quintessential privileged man.
This judicial travesty reminds me of the Stanford Swimmer Brock Turner's 3-month in jail sentencing for raping a woman.
A miscarriage of justice.
12
Apparently if you are rich, black and gay in this country with the heightened alarm (for good reason) about hate crimes, you can do no wrong. This is a manipulation of justice.
17
He must have been telling the truth. Why else would the drop charges
1
Jussie:
I just have to know, did you do it?
Lets start with that, then we can discuss everything else.
2
Innocent victims do not pay $10,000 to a city where they claim they were a victim of a hate attack.
17
It's yet another "not exonerate," but let's put it behind us anyway.
2
If the only evidence was the testimony of two Nigerian nationals who went back to Nigeria and are beyond the reach of extradition then this is likely the best outcome the prosecutor could get. Maybe Jussie agreed to pay the $10,000 fine and do community because he realized that paying a lawyer to defend him would far exceed his fine.
1
@Sal The Nigerians are US citizens living in Chicago. They are totally cooperating witnesses. Their story has never changed.
2
I think this is a good way to handle this petty crime. It cost this guy 10k - the city of Chicago could use it and in turn save taxpayer money in putting this knucklehead on trial.
His punishment will be doled out in social media where now-a-days seems to bite harder than a few days in jail.
The thing that bothers me is that he wasn't forced to admit guilt. Instead he gets to keep pretending he is an honest upright citizen who told the truth. I don't care if he goes to prison but I do care that he is allowed to perpetuate his lies.
18
@Benjo
"The thing that bothers me is that he wasn't forced to admit guilt. "
We don't know all of the facts. Maybe, just maybe, Smollett is not guilty of the charges.
So now he is free to dedicate his life to finding the people who did this to him.
14
Good one! Made me laugh!
2
Hey, now that Robert Mueller has some free time on his hands, maybe HE can investigate whether the Cook County State's Attorney's Office obstructed justice by dropping the charges against Jussie Smollett? But this time he has to promise not to punt it away at the last minute.
4
Mayor Rahm Emanuel claims there has been "a whitewash of justice" in the dropping of charges against Mr. Smollett's case, but it is this hypocritical mayor who has been blocking police reform in Chicago for years, which has resulted in deaths of unarmed mostly black men at the hands of Chicago's unreformed police force.
3
This was a publicity stunt, a long and revered Hollywood tradition. Give him a break.
2
He may not really be off the hook. His sending of a threatening letter to himself and exploiting this may in fact constitute mail fraud, a Federal crime. Let’s see how this plays out.
14
Another outrage in a week fill with them. It bleeds the soul of any belief that justice exists. I'm reminded of heartbreaking belief of Anne Frank - "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart." How many times and how many people prove that to be an error.
5
He is guilty in the court of public opinion. No good will come from sending him to prison.
1
@M Davis
Let's be honest since we don't know all of the details, including the possibility of misconduct from a historically racist and corrupt police department.
The truth is that Smollett was found guilty in the court of white public opinion the day he was born.
1
@Oceanviewer: I bet, just waking up every day in American is HARD,isn’t it?
4
The Jussie Smollett case is justice denied, perhaps corruptly. This is where in our country there’s a proud tradition where the fourth estate steps up to fill the void, to hold a legal system and its prosecutor accountable. Chicago tribune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, don’t let us down.
11
Why bother having detectives, grand jury, forensic analysts and prosecutors? Chicago can streamline their justice department and save money by just getting rid of them. I guess it's no longer white privilege, it's just privilege. I feel bad for those people who are in jail for much less offenses, and the police who spent all those resources doing their job.
16
Cook County Politicians. I hope the NYT and it’s intrepid reporters will vigorously pursue the facts in this case even if it doesn’t follow their view of good guys and bad guys
13
Money is honey
My little sonny
And a rich man's joke
Is always funny...
9
Hey he had clean record plus he was able to buy his way out of trouble like a lot of white guys.What's the world coming to? If we keep this up people may even start to think that Trump is an honest guy. After all he had a "clean record" too didn't he?
2
Typical leftist city. Different justice for those who are connected. In the meantime hundreds of other black men are shot and killed in Chicago every year.
12
@Bob. You should go on to point out they are shot by other black men. Chicago is not a good place to be black, particularly if you are poor. The bloodbath in this community is appalling.
6
“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”
Every non-violent scammer take note, Cook County is a safe space for you.
20
This simply isn't right.
Let's face it. By all the evidence - and here I speak of Smollett's own words - a hoax was created to make it look like crazed racists targeted Smollett. The police trusted the victim, and investigated, only to find the people who say Smollett hired them for this hoax. The police have been tarred as racist by many extremist liberals (and I consider myself a solid Democrat and liberal) for exposing this. And now the DA stabs them in the back by dropping all the charges and sealing everything so they cannot as easily defend themselves. It's a coverup. Expose the truth and let the cards fall where they may.
21
Let's see... several people investigated by Mueller are going to jail for lying to Congress. Smollett lies about a staged assault and gets off. Equal justice under the law... unless you are a celebrity, black, gay, and a liar. Even liberal scion Mayor Emanuel was outraged with the dropped charges. At least something we have in common, Mr. Mayor. Wrong is not right in this case.
13
As a retired career prosecutor, I find this outcome disgraceful. The evidence offered st the time of his arrest laid out compelling proof of guilt. I am certainly would not insist on sending him to jail, but an allocation with a guilty plea was the minimum step necessary to not be shameful.
I’ve never heard of the payment of $10,000 to drop the charges. This is an outcome not available to defendants without those means.
The actions of the Assistant States Attorney strike be as unethical.
37
For some reason, the prosecutor ignores the grand jury and the 16 counts it forwards. For some reason, the prosecutor finds the police investigation irrelevant and the crime insignificant.
For whatever reason, Mr. Smollett walks away with all charges dropped, and with his case sealed, and he has this to say:
“I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since Day 1.”
Now THAT is privilege.
34
I'm confused about the letter.
Didn't the cops say that they found magazines with letters. etc., cut out in the Nigerian brothers' apartment? And, then that they believed that Jussie was involved with the letter?
Oh. Wait. The letter part is now with the FBI, right? Because it involves the US mail......and hate crime.
Whole thing is confusing. But the truth will come out. This may not be Law & Order, but hardly anything remains secret under seal forever.
Also, I have to ask. First it was LBGT, then LBGTQ, and now LBGTQIA? When did the "IA" start? I guess I fell behind, way way behind. I had to look it up.
I don't care who does what with whom.
But, at some point, this ever-increasing acronym needs to stop increasing. It's too complicated for people who actually, really, sincerely want to use the "right" reference, or just understand the reference, whether they personally identify with one of the groups or don't.
11
If someone paid the brothers not to cooperate would that have made the changes disappear? Odd that there were so many original charges - figured some of these would be dropped but not all. Odder still that Smollet’s record was expunged.
3
It's hard to believe Mr. Smollett, and even harder to understand why he would want to make a victim of himself if his story is not to be believed. Whatever outcome the charges might have had, had they been prosecuted, one would hope that law enforcement resources will not be wasted this way in the future.
3
I don't understand why all the criminal charges were dropped. He was indicted by a grand jury and these charges -- if fabricated -- are very injurious to actual victims. What am i missing?
13
@Bill
I don't know what you are missing as far as the charges being dropped. Very strange.
But, it is almost a slam dunk for prosecutors to get an indictment from a grand jury. It's a very one-sided process. And, the grand jury is not the trial jury, so all they are deciding is whether the facts and evidence they hear and are shown ---which are only presented by the prosecutors --- are sufficient for an indictment.
2
The charges are dismissed and that is evidence of exoneration.
The State’s only evidence against Jussie Smollet was the testimony of two alleged arrested co-conspirators. They testified and the charges against them were dropped. The State knew they could never convict when a defense lawyer And a jury got a load of those two so instead the state convicted Jussie in the public’s mindset . Both Abel and Ola Osundairo were arrested for the attack on Jussie Smollett. Both were bankrupt and gigging as extras, personal trainers, and personal bodyguards. One of the brothers became Jussie’s personal trainer and Jussie paid him by check (something you do when you want a written record and you can’t pay cash because you don’t quite trust the guy; not what you do to pay off your criminal co-conspirators). Isn’t it just possible that Smollet paid his trainer so well that said trainer thought he might be able to extend the gig by terrorizing the young out gay black man and then offering his bodyguard services to the frightened Jussie Smollet? (Landing the brothers back on the Empire set/bonus). Would that be beyond the pale for someone who was admittedly the muscle for hire in a scam? They use the Grand Jury to bully suspects because the threshold for evidentiary admission is so low. They muscled this guy with an indictment and muckraking and Jussie Smollet did not plead. He wasn’t proven guilty but the charges are dismissed. He IS exonerated.
@Ms. Rix What you have presented is pure speculation. Consider writing for Barr regarding the Mueller report.
2
He bought his way out With his bond. Chicago da is a joke
14
Seems a clear resolution.
The police know the brothers did the attack, the brothers say Smollett paid them, the inconsistencies (Smollett leaves the noose on after the attack, says he saw the skin color through the mask and it was white guys in his initial report) make is clear they're telling the truth.
The DA sees a political and racial hot potato, Smollett's lawyer makes it clear they'll throw an expensive fit, the DA decides to just skip the whole matter and play it off that it's not worth it as this isn't a violent crime.
And the police and mayor are furious. After so many attacks on their force as racist, they treated Smollett's initial claim with kid gloves, supported him, and only called him out as a hoax when they had all the info - and then it gets dropped, making them look like fools and racists.
And Smollett's lawyer knows her job, and plays it off that Smollett is of course now exonerated.
18
@SusanStoHelit
Good comment. Seriously.
3
@SusanStoHelit
Yes, precisely.
I would only add that he clearly has friends powerful enough to go over the head of the city of Chicago, and I will leave this point at that.
The socond thing I waould add is that the first time I read the "attacker" said "this is "MAGA country" I was somewhat puzzled my first thought was that they must have been some "misinformed country folk" on a weekend vacation to Chicago....... but once it came to light who actually (allegedly) wrote those words it no longer puzzled me: They were written by a smug, out of touch, elitist aristocrat from either a wealthy costal area in California or the Tri-state area who, in between laughing at the peasants, enjoys shooting bullets at the peasants feet while screaming "dance!".
In summary: Welcome to Chicago. Welcome to America.
1
The press should ask: on what grounds did the judge “seal” the file and sign the dismissal order? There are legal thresholds that must be met.
I’m a forgiving person and maybe 16 felonies was overkill. But for Smollett to walk off without an apology to the Chicago PD stinks.
I’m wondering if federal charges are under consideration for any alleged threats that were said to be mailed to Smollett before the hoax took place?
26
I tell you this: Mr. Smollett has hurt the cause of justice. He has hurt the cause of civil rights, possibly for years to come.
The feminists are still hearing about Duke Lacrosse, about Tawana Brawley, about William Kennedy Smith and about Virginia fraternity. Even now, years later, those unfortunately memorable frauds get hurled in women's faces. We know what is coming now.
22
@James Ribe
"The feminists are still hearing about Duke Lacrosse, about Tawana Brawley, about William Kennedy Smith and about Virginia fraternity. Even now, years later, those unfortunately memorable frauds get hurled in women's faces. We know what is coming now."
Yes.
And it is a massive insult for the prosecutor to talk about how they're prioritizing violent crimes, as if that's all that matters. This will help encourage more violent crimes. It gives white supremacists cover to pretend like all claims are fake, it tells police not to even bother investigating a claim that might be fake.
4
@James Ribe
That's only if you paint a whole group of people with the same broad brush.
Each individual is innocent until proven guilty. Another case comes along...and its the same thing. Innocent until proven guilty.
Same prosecutors and "judicial" system that allow arrested repeat gun-toting thugs to walk in Chicago without any real consequences. The result: more than 700 murders and thousands of shootings, many preventable had recklessly irresponsible prosecutors and judges done their sworn duty.
13
For those who think it's only the left Hollywood elites who get away with crimes, try Rush Limbaugh, Tom De Lay former Congressional House Majority Leader and Dennis Hastert also former Majority leader. All right wing Republicans. It's the money, power and connections. U.S.A. leader in equal justice for all. I'm moving to Thailand, at least they're honest about their corruption.
7
Sad individual and Chicago AG is foolish yo dtop charges as copycat violators are sure to come. Jessie is a flawed individual and should never see fame again
9
And in Texas Crystal Mason gets five years for voter fraud.
8
“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”
What Mr. Magats taught us today is that our justice system is open to abuse without repercussion. They should throw people who undermine our society in prison.
19
We are govt. of the rich, for the rich and by the rich- and so is the "justice" system !
No country for the poor !
14
So many readers, arguably liberal Democrats agreeing with the dropping the charges.. Somehow none of your readers (or very few showed much sympathy for the Covington Catholic students even though they were at no fault!! Is it because they wore MAGA hats? Who is biased ?
14
The most disgusting part of this deal is that Smollett can now walk around saying he was innocent. I would have been able to swallow a contrite Smollett found guilty and then let off with time served. This is just a joke.
17
Another case of not exonerating someone, but letting by-gones be by-gones ... in this case for a few bucks and community service (whatever that means). How big words that get national press attention become fashionable to use! If the guy put on a show ... which needs to be proved in court ..it seems important to hold him accountable and find out what’s going on. The nation is unstable enough already on social matters, including racial. It doesn’t need more fake events that would instigate more social disruption that many with a personal agenda, too often in knee-jerk way, jump quickly on their bandwagon/ hobby-horse in rah-rah protest. We keep on digging ourselves into a bigger social hole, and it’s not funny at all ... in fact, quite the opposite and dangerous.
1
The number of NYT commenters unable to read between the lines on this one is astonishing.
The real story here has nothing to do with the alleged crimes against Smollett.
It would seem there was some sort of major police or DA misconduct which we are not privy to. Whatever we don't know was so bad that there was some deal that was agreed to. Even though they knew dropping charges would make national news, and would be a complete embarrassment, - they messed up so bad, that they still had to go through with it.
9
@PNicholson
The mob mentality shown in many of these comments is historically familiar in the US whenever Blacks are involved in the criminal justice system- "Trial be damned, he's guilty!
1
@PNicholson, so then DOJ should get involved and retrace the investigation, correcting flaws in CPD one. If DOJ can review Ferguson case for racial bias based on lies from witnesses, they have ample evidence to look at this case. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
3
@PNicholson
Oh, so YOU know what happened! Terrific! Then fly to Chicago, get the documentation and go public. You'll be a *star*!
3
It’s cute how he was charged with what, sixteen (!) felonies if I remember correctly and now can proclaim his innocence. He sounds like a sociopath. I’m sure anyone else would have had their life wrecked by just one felony prosecution.
Also, is it just me or did the prosecutor choose this route because a judge would never have accepted such a pathetic plea bargain?
I hope prosecutors apply this “justice” to every person charges with a crime in Chicago from now on. It’s only fair. What a joke.
10
Used to live in Chicago. Sounds like somebody paid somebody off...
14
Chicago lives up to it's many reputations...
12
Cool, so when is Roseanne back on TV?
15
Clearly, for some outraged whites, this signals more loss of white privilege; end times; blah, blah, blah.
After all, who would have thought that a black man could ever escape 16 felony counts- over what at most should have been a single charge of filing a false report?
Where is the outrage over innocent unnamed blacks being killed by police officers?
3
@Oceanviewer
Why investigate when the prosecutor just showed how their hard work investigating is going to be dismissed if it's inconvenient.
8
What a misread of the situation.
7
@Oceanviewer
What are you talking about? LOL
6
Had this been a white man, there would be outrage that this dismissal of all charges was another example of "White privilege". So what are the privilege blamers attributing this outcome to?
17
Oprah, PLEASE don’t interview Jussie Smollett. He doesn’t deserve your pulpit!
9
The headline should read, "Chicago Prosecutors Endorse Making False Reports of Hate Crimes." Ridiculous.
12
Trump and Smollett: “Total exoneration”
10
Smollett's stupidity has crashed his career. That is worse for him than jail and will cost Illinois much less. Keep the bond money and use it for good. Case closed. Get over it.
2
@me
"Get over it."
Try telling that to the many ordinary, unconnected persons, often of limited (or no) means who are serving long jail sentences for far less serious crimes. Try telling that to someone who really is assaulted on the basis of prejudice and whose claims are dismissed by the public because of this hoax. The bond money is chump change. There are principles at stake here and they are being trampled on.
4
I guess the Smollett case was not a “slam dunk” after all for the historically racist and corrupt Chicago Police Department? Where’s the outrage over all of the innocent lives that were ruined by the CPD?
The damning Justice Department report about Chicago police also helps explain the city’s murder rate
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2017/01/14/the-damning-justice-department-report-about-chicago-police-also-helps-explain-the-citys-murder-rate/?utm_term=.c0c551282ae1
People Framed by Team of Corrupt Chicago Police Office Sue
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2019-02-15/people-framed-by-team-of-corrupt-chicago-police-office-sue
State Court Rips CPD Corruption
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/State-Court-Rips-CPD-Corruption-504321371.html
19 men framed by ex-Chicago police Sgt. Watts sue city and CPD
https://wgntv.com/2019/02/15/19-men-framed-by-ex-chicago-police-sgt-watts-sue-city-and-cpd/
@Oceanviewer
Please get off your ocean-viewing deck and stay on topic.
6
You'd think people would be relieved that this African American got at least some punishment and didn't get shot by police.
The guy is a moron and a loser. He does not need to spend 20 years in prison for being a jerk. He already has totally wrecked his career. He will be a laughingstock for the rest of his life. He didn't hurt anyone besides himself.
3
Regardless of this decision Smollett will forever be linked to this event. Following through with the court case might have provided an explanation.
4
..just like an occasional drunken gang rape should not affect a promising career on the Supreme Court.
Great system.
13
@VoiceofAmerica There was no actual rape in the Kavanaugh case.
5
The prosecutors claim they made a deal with Smollet in exchange for dropping the charges. His lawyer denies any deal was made, and claims the charges were dropped due to a lack of sound evidence. And Smollet continues to pronounce his innocence.
If the investigative evidence for the charges was solid, why would prosecutors not insist, as part of the deal, that he confess that he paid these white guys to create a hoax? Clearly they didn't. So what happened to their evidence, and why has a judge now placed it under seal? Reporters need to get to the bottom of what actually happened here.
7
@Wally The men who helped Smollett with his hoax are Africans from Nigeria, I believe. He blamed white people, but he lied.
6
@Wally Note: the people who faked the attack were black not white.
6
@Wally what white guys are you referring to? His co conspirators were brothers from Nigeria.
5
“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.” Prisons are full of nonfamous nonrich people who are not a threat to public safety. The difference is the prisoners are not on the tv screen, no one except their family cares what happened to them and they are critical to the job security of corrections officers and private for profit prisons. And people still think this country is "great", what an utter disgrace.
13
This the right call. Yes, Smollett is horrible. And he was fired from a job paying him $100,000 per episode. And his career is almost certainly over, costing him probably millions of dollars in future earning as an actor. And he's a laughing stock. Surely this is punishment enough. Doesn't anyone think he's try this again? Certainly this will deter others.
This is the right call, also because to leave Smollett out there is give the Far Right a gay black target they can attack with impunity. Don't make their day!
3
With all the evidence against him, it seems just dropping the charges give the far right more fuel to add to the fire.
Letting the facts be aired in a trial would have at least made public both sides the story.
7
Seriously? You are ridiculous! He committed a fraud. He wasted substantial and precious police resources in one of the most violent cities in America. Someone else could have been harmed by his bad acts. He still proclaims his innocence? This is a perfect example on injustice perpetrated on the poor working class of Chicago. They would not have fared so well in the same situation.
9
@stephen beck
Thank you for confirming the "call's" accuracy. However, people who believe in the justice system would like to have seen this entitled idiot in court attempting to plead his "case." It would have been like Entertainment Tonight.
This is a disgrace, period. And it's not over yet! I see many heads rolling over this travesty! YES! Send Jussie to JAIL! OJ did his time, so should he!
1
Does Jussie have Bill Barr as his attorney? I heard that guy is a genius at convincing prosecutors and everyone else that no crime was committed.
11
Despite the lack of real punishment, this result lets Smollett claim he was truthful during the entire process. This is celebrity run amok.
18
The wealthy and famous are treated differently in the halls of justice than the rest of us. If he were an unknown Black man, he would have been jailed through all this and probably receive an unfair sentence. He should be required to do community service in Chicago's jails and also pay a huge sum of money to a program for Black youth. It's pretty disgusting that he got off so easy.
12
What a joke. Time for an FBI investigation into the conduct of the prosecutor--bribery or extortion.
12
In the past year, we have all seen a number of court cases and some rather strange results. And what have we learned? Well, no matter how egregious our past was, we can use the defense that until "now", our lives have been blameless and we should get about 1/5th of a court sentence.
We have learned that we can stage an attack and waste a lot of a city's resources and further divide our country. But if you have a Hollywood face, don't worry, charges will be dropped.
As a gay man. I must object to the sentencing in this case. Community service should have involved RuPaul dressing Mr. Smollet up in drag and then have Mr. Smollet be a rally greeter at a dozen Trump rallies. And its time to pull his gay card. If he shows up at your bar or restaurant, shun him.
304
@tom harrison
I agree with everything you said. (full discloser: I am not gay), except RuPaul. Smollet is not fit to touch one of Rupaul's wigs. Let alone wear one!
If Smollett is indeed innocent, as he vociferously claims, then there is no need to drop the charges, as the truth would come to light during a trial.
29
@tom harrison - The lesson I learned was that money and fame give you a different justice system than the rest of us have.
19
@tom harrison. There was no “ sentencing” in this case. Charges were dropped. It’s very puzzling but this was NOT a plea deal
7
"Innocent" Smollet, mirroring Sandmann, filing defamation lawsuit too?
3
The masses here aren’t taking kindly to this. He best keep his smug little smile out of this City for a while.
20
Trump/Smollett - "not exonerated" - welcome to the bizarro world of justice.
8
It seems likely that the LGBQT community pulled some political strings.
11
@Amy
Oh, so now it's the entire community that's somehow to blame for his actions?
3
Violent liberal celebrities like Jussie Smollett (and Alec Baldwin, who punches people out on the streets of Manhattan with impunity) evade justice. If a conservative hired two white imitation thugs to "assault" him or her and described them as black, the outrage would engender riots in the black community. Using a fake noose to make a racist political statement as well as to further one's career, as a black celebrity, and receive zero condemnation from that community is equally disgraceful by Mr. Smollett as well as the racial group he pretends to represent.
By Mr. Smollett's reckoning, his attackers are still out there. I'm sure he, like O.J. Simpson, will now seek their capture to protect other black gay entertainers.
24
You forgot to mention Hillary’s emails and the fluoridation of the water supply.
5
We can't have it both ways: we can't deplore over-sentencing of small crimes and a harsh criminal justice system that stacks prison sentences to encourage defendants to make a plea, and then bray for blood when one man pays what is in effect a $10,000 fine and, while not found guilty, is not exonerated and where his cuplability seems clear, over an act of stupidity in which no one was hurt but himeslf. The fine seems wholly proportionate to the offence, and if others would have received harsher penalties, perhaps more of our collective outrage should be directed as those poor unfortunates.
The man is a liar and a fool, and much the poorer once he pays his legal fees. Why would we want to compound that by paying for his incarceration, and what public good would be served by it? Did Mel Gibson go to jail? Gibson actually did endanger other people by driving drunk, and acted in a way that, if these things can be equated, seems not so very differently hateful, stupid, and involving of police time. The comparison isn't perfect and I wouldn't ptopose to debate shades of bigotry, but I think most would agree that Gibson got what was coming.
As has Smollett. And, if he redeems himself by disappearing for some years, well, isn't America the land of the second chance?
2
@Alex Johnson
Because he just showed that the american justice system can be abused, lied to, and cheated without repercussion. Why should we trust the next person who is the victim of a hate crime? They could have just been making it up - after all, Smollett just showed that it's basically free to do so. He's more famous now than he was before. Any D-list actor can do the same thing for attention without consequence, and this is a world where attention is king.
8
In more than 40 plus years as lawman, lawyer, and prosecutor, I have never seen anything even remotely like this event. Comey and the Hillary affair, however, is probably the nearest example.
16
@Adamswulff
Agree. Comey's over-sharing was out of line, against long-established protocol and harmed HRC immensely. And, not just once, but twice. I rarely agree with Trump, but Comey deserved to be fired. Just not for anything to do with the "Russia Thing." Trump is so hopeless that he could not even stick with the Rosenstein memo script.
3
Crime pays, even when you fake it happening to you.
15
... And justice for all...?
5
"Kim took office on December 1, 2016 with a vision for transforming the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office into a fairer, more forward-thinking agency focused on rebuilding the public trust, promoting transparency, and being proactive in making all communities safe." She forgot to mention "ensuring privilege remains intact.
12
And yet again - one system of justice for the well=connected in the face of injustice for the rest.
12
A terrible terrible decision. This was a blatantly illegal act that had severe consequences and should have been punished to the full extent of the law.
15
I see dozens of comments condemning this guy for inciting racial divisions with his reckless behavior. I don't see anyone adding that he also tried to incite political tension with his story about his attackers wearing MAGA hats. I realize this is a left leaning comment board, but if the tables were turned I think the sense of outrage would equal mine. His tropes about MAGA-hat wearing goons beating him up over his politics are really insulting. In my personal case, I leave my MAGA hat at home when I leave to beat up innocent Subway customers...
27
Jussie Smollett was able to take advantage of a diversion program designed to keep people who make a stupid mistake from having a criminal record.
My friend's son was allowed to take advantage of a program like that after he was charged with assaulting his brother-in-law in a silly argument. No one would have been served by that man having a crime like that on his record.
These programs are not designed to give someone who brazenly lies on national television about a staged attack to now claim that he has been exonerated and that the police and grand jury falsely charged him. This is a disgrace.
I remember when OJ Simpson got off on murder charges because blacks on the jury opted to send a signal about racial justice. I could see their point, but their actions were an affront to justice. Same with the prosecutors here.
Now Jussie Smollett will be looking for those two white men in their MAGA hats who beat him up in just the same way OJ Simpson has been looking for the "real killers" of his wife and Ron Goldman. Let me know when either of them finds them.
18
This entire debacle was poorly handled, from the sophomoric staged attack, to the rapid grand jury indictments, and the quick-to-let-off another rich person for criminal acts.
But I must say that the press conference I watched today by Mayor Rahm Emanuel was disgraceful. Talk about an opportunist political charade. Talk about trial by media.
Our system of justice in this country has taken a sour turn. Forget about innocent until proven guilty. Accuse someone and they lose their job. Kneel down at a football game, and they lose your career.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel should be ashamed of himself.
Before your case is heard in court, and you are found guilty; you do community service?? That's a new one on me!
This country is quickly heading downward!
9
As I wrote yesterday: "It's only a matter of time until the little people recognize that the justice they receive in America bears no resemblance to what the well-connected enjoy. When they do, expect yellow vest protests on this side of the Atlantic." Jussie Smollett's sordid fabrication and the politically-motivated get out of jail free card he received certainly proves my point. Can you imagine a straight white male who lied that he had been beaten up for wearing a MAGA hat being given a similar pass?
17
The case was ridiculously overcharged to begin with. Come on, 16 felonies?! It seemed like the DA threw everything he could dredge up at the wall, hoping something would stick.
1
Jussie. Maybe a" Thank you for dropping the charges and I will never do it again" response would have been better for you in the long run.
16
No one should spend time locked behind bars unless they are a threat to society and the public. It really does not serve a purpose. Make them do community service or something useful for society. Let them and us see the good they can do to help our fellow humans and make society better. BTW this also goes to people in the Trump org who were caught doing some stupid stuff. Everyone needs to take a chill pill. So give people a chance to redeem themselves and make things better for society. If on the other hand they become repeat offenders (even of the same crime) nail them hard! To err is human, to forgive divine!
1
What weird logic compels a Chicago prosecutor to say he is advancing the prevention of violent crime by ignoring the perpetration of a hoax that occupied at minimum hundreds of hours of officers' time?
Chicago's mayor said the hoax harmed the city's image and to some extent it surely did. But two hooligans -- even if they had committed a crime as awful as the one fabricated -- could not have matched the damage to Chicago's reputation wrought by the prosecutors' office's utter contempt for justice.
13
I have no clue what transpired to Jussie Smollet, but this resolution makes both the City of Chicago and Mr. Smollet appear bad. Wish they had resolved by allowing both parties to tell their stories.
10
Yet another example on how the rich and famous get away with committing crimes all the while the average person would have gotten jail time for this type of crime. Personally, i think most prosecutors offices around the country are corrupt , taking money and favors and then giving special treatment to those who bestow the money and "favors". Chicago is dead center of this type of corruption. Just to be fair, I'm no fan of Mayor Emanuel, i think he was and is a failure.
10
Article states: "He also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that the dropping of the charges “didn’t exonerate him.”"
Sound familiar?
3
Will somebody please bring back "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". This would make a great first episode for the "reboot". And we have the nerve to criticize other countries' criminal justice system?
9
Just like Smollett should have been prosecuted for wasting public resources with false accusations, so too the people who made the false allegations against Trump and wasted tens of millions of dollars and 2 years of everybody’s time should be prosecuted.
We have to stop the epidemic of false allegations in this country. It is a cancer on America.
11
The Prosecutor should be prosecuted....by the Feds. We know (some) lawyers have no ethics, but this is a breach of what the guy was hired to do. Seek justice and pursue it!
13
Why would anyone trust the Cook County Police Department and their ability to serve justice in the community as it impacts an African American Man. That this man is a celebrity and gay only makes it easier for them to assign blame to him based upon their past indiscretions. Why does everyone want to judge this fellow? Very American, but not so just.
1
So, Mr. Smollett's "community service" lasted two -- 2! -- days. And his service was with Jess Jackson's Rainbosw/PUSH coalition. Just Google it.
Here's the money quote: "We're told Jussie's 'service' included stuffing membership envelopes, working in the group's bookstore to sell merchandise ... and critiquing its Saturday broadcast. We're told he helped them with camera angles, and also worked with the music director on a plan to build the choir."
Sad.
10
It will be interesting to see the response of leaders of black community and politicians to this whole episode. The whole incident will be a setback for ordinary people of color.
Hope the leadership responds to it.
10
@Robert only if Bill Barr's high profile and biased weekend decision to clear Trump is a setback to Trump followers. On the other hand, blacks are likely to think that it is a money thing that links Trump JR and Smollet's deeds. The rest of us would be rotting in jail.
2
@Dr. Girl, "what about ism" is not limited to conservatives after all
3
I expect every card carrying liberal dem to react with the same disbelief, the same indignation, the same outrage and the same loud cries that just having no charges pressed is not an exoneration of guilt or an affirmation that no crime was committed and that investigation must continue into this conspiracy until such time as enough evidence is gathered to press charges.
Kind of like their reaction to trump's exoneration.
12
Ok I have no problem with that. Both Trump and Smollett are actually guilty, even if they won't be held legally responsible for their actions. Ok with you?
6
This is essentially a plea deal. Why is he not being forced to admit guilt ?
11
If Smollett is guilty, Chicago can't let him walk away and say that he was maligned. If he is innocent, then Chicago needs to refund his bond and apologize. Period.
8
Situations like this can be so difficult.
Mr Smollett, doing what he had done (assuming the facts are completely accurate), has done a tremendous disservice to those of all walks life who actually suffer real prejudicial incidents of all types.
But we also have to acknowledge reality. People who have done worse get off with even less, turning the halls of justice into a proverbial revolving door. What with all of the plea deals, etc, etc that goes on. Not to mention that the correctional system, as it is, corrects nothing.
1
Wasn't this a publicity stunt? As such, did he get $10K worth (plus the $3.5K for the actors involved) of publicity? He got a lot more; but, of course, there is the dollar reflection of his "talent"and any future employers. A big time loser!
5
More celebrity justice.
13
Anyone who believes Jussie Smollett is anything short of guilty as sin is just as guilty of living in a "post truth world" as those who take Trump at his word.
11
@Jim this is all so strange coming on the heels of Bill Barr's declaration of "no collusion" and "no obstruction". It is as though Lady Justice decided to trade in her scale for the # MeToo movement. Maybe our justice system has just imploded into a pile of rocks and a lot of money is all you need for a ticket around it.
1
Trump will pick up some votes from this.
14
@M
Definitely, not enough regarding Illinois, but probably ensuring Pennsylvania again, possibly tilting Minnesota red.
10
Wow--this trumps even Trump!
13
So he did some "community service" and let them keep the 10K he put up and this made his case/crimes go away?
Like Mayor Emanuel, Police Superintendent Johnson and many, many Chicagoans, this Chicago Ex-pat is outraged at prosecutor Joe Magus.
This is not how we roll in Chicago. :(
9
I've been reading in the pages of this newspaper how Donald Trump wasn't exonerated because Mr. Mueller stated there wasn't enough evidence of the crime of obstruction to recommend prosecution (which in our system, where one is innocent until proven guilty, if there isn't sufficient evidence even to recommend charges is exoneration).
Here we have a young man, indicted on 16 felonies, not by an over zealous prosecutor, or a politically charged case without even a predicate crime, but by a grand jury.
They toss his case, and seal it, after the new director of the SPLC reaches out to the Soros/Obama backed State's Attorney and 16 felonies are wiped away. Can I get me some of that Friend's of Obama Privilege, please?
17
Rahm Emanuel is a lot more connected to Obama. He doesn't seem happy with the outcome.
6
@Benjo: Rahm Emanuel might just be faking it. Perhaps part of Smollett's plea deal.
5
@Joe Schmoe Thinking exactly the same thing!
1
To the Still Processing dynamic duo - OK, I'm waiting breathlessly for your take on this one!
....and is the woman on the left in the lead photo facepalming? I know I am.
2
Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, intervened and reached out to Kim Foxx, the Cook County State’s attorney, from the early stages of the investigation. Though Ms. Foxx “recused” herself, it seems clear that she had influence over her deputy.
Remember how we need to “connect the dots” and “where there is smoke, there is fire”. I guess a special prosecutor should investigate. Hey, Robert Muellier has some time on his hands.
Or maybe we should all just accept that this is how Chicago Democratic politics work.
25
@John
Kim Foxx also happens to be the protege of Toni Preckwinkle, one of the candidates for mayor of Chicago. Stayed tuned to see if this has repercussions on the mayoral election - a week from today.
9
Mark Geragos, celebrity attorney, who was Jussie Smollett's co-counsel, was just cited as a co-conspirator in the case against Michael Avanatti. Can it get any stranger??
That being said, Geragos gave a passionate defense of Jessie on CNN a few weeks ago which cited a lot of police misconduct, so I believe that CPD felt they had some skeletons to hide that might embarrass the department - despite Smollett's alleged guilt. Though I believe Smollett made the whole thing up through and through, I was rather impressed with Geragos' silver tongued attack. Perhaps he scared the heck out of CPD and they were afraid of being embarrassed.
Perhaps Avanatti should have let Geragos do the talking in the meeting with Nike. Oopsie.
7
so the "punishment" for 16 felony counts is a $10,000 fine and some community service?!
wow, chicago sure is easy on crime...
13
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown" was spoken at the end of that movie about the powers that be. About how wealth and privilege allow the powerful to go through life without consequences. In the decision by Mr. Joseph Magats, the First Assistant to District Attorney Kim Foxx, to drop charges we get the same compelling message. In counterpoint to Mr. Smollett asserting his innocence to the media we get the enraged Mayor of Chicago demanding justice. Forget it, Rahm. Its Chicago.
17
Would be nice if police did charge the brothers and they unseal the Smollett case to prove their innocence. Or hopefully the police investigate find new evidence and can open fresh case against Jussie.
Always expected a travesty of justice in this case because of his celebrity and Kim Foxx involvement. But His smugness and again saying he is innocent basically besmirched Chicago and it’s current police officers. Insult to injury stings please someone re open the case.
8
Looks mostly like an episode of the Keystone Cops. You'd think watching Supt Johnson's initial press briefing that Smollett was a Prohibition-era Chicago crime boss rather than a glorified Youtube sensation obsessed with his Klout score. He lied, so what? At the end of the day he only hurt himself and his family. As for Chicago's precious reputation, it's already home to the western hemisphere's ugliest skyscraper: the Willis Tower.
Then there's the over-the-top 16 felony indictment. I get one, but sixteen? Bad enough, but then to suddenly drop all of them a couple of weeks later in exchange for something that isn't quite a plea deal but not quite a dismissal? The reason you have a grand jury indict is to insulate the state's attorney from politically motivated prosecution. Does Mr. Magat not know how to not indict ham sandwiches?
It has lousy police work, lousy lawyering and lousy political grandstanding all over it.
5
If you want victims to be believed, hate crime hoaxers MUST be held accountable. Smollett clearly violated a number of laws by sending himself a fake letter, and wasted countless police resources. Let Smollett rot in a jail cell for the audacity of his crime so that others know that fabricating hate crimes is an intolerable act. It's time for federal prosecutors to step in and do the job Kim Fox is too unprincipled to do.
12
There are two tiers of justice in America, and as this case shows, it's not about racial discrimination.
One tier is for the wealthy elites, celebs, famous people including Smollett, Trump, O.J., etc.
They can commit crimes and bribe their way out or get special soft treatment.
But for the rest of us, the 99%, if you or I wasted huge amounts of CPD manpower creating a false crime narrative to advance your career, we'd be facing a trial and prison.
8
Yes, but we regular people would never manufacture such claims so we are all safe and free.
3
Sometimes, even if you feel that the charge will be hard to prove, you need to try the case. Prosecutors are public servants, and this man inflamed race relations for the entire country, made fools of real hate crime victims, and plotted for financial gain. This is the most high profile modern case of making false police reports, and letting him go sets a dangerous precedent.
He needs to admit guilt or there needs to be a trial.
6
People who believe that Donald Trump didn't work with the Russians to get elected should have no problem believing this.
And people who have no problem living in a country where children live in cages, shouldn't have a problem living with this.
3
WHY was the case sealed? Dropping all charges is bad enough, but to seal the file? WHY, and how is that legal? Can someone demand that it be unsealed? Everyone deserves to read the facts and evidence in this case. My gosh, Jussie's lies and actions took up thousands of Chicago PD man hours. And now they are just blowing it off and saying "Oh, it's ok. And by the way, no one can see the facts and evidence of this case." That is creepy. What is going on? Were the prosecutors paid off?
9
I doubt there are many that feel justice was served by this, but not many are speaking out against the injustice done to 'The Deplorables' by these increasingly common false hate crimes.
Smollet's intent was to capitalize on the perception of Conservatives as violent bigots--a stereotype encouraged by this paper--and present himself as a victim. This was a celebrity utilizing the primary SJW meme for his own benefit and deepening our national divide by demonizing the president's supporters (from a pretty privileged perch). Not to mention wasting police resources in a city that certainly can't afford it.
But I'm rambling. My final thought is that this is yet another Leftist overreach, the sum of which might well ensure Trump's re-election. If and when it happens, don't let your gobsmacked self off easy; you might've taken the high road and spoken out against deceit and lying, even when it comes from your side.
12
I'm more concerned about actual hate crimes, which are on the rise.
1
@Benjo
No. California has 40 million people and
there were 65 hate crimes last year. There are more fake hoaxes about hate crimes in this country.
2
This quite frankly stinks. It would not surprise me if the production company of the show Empire made a deal with the prosecution; drop the charges or Empire will be filmed elsewhere.
5
Every day this country more and more shows that it’s justice system is not just at all. The famous and the monied somehow always get no more than a slap on the wrist....if even that.
This is a travesty. A staged attack like this is a serious matter. But I’m not surprised at the result. Now let’s see if the Hollywood celebs involved in the college admissions scandal spend a single day in jail. Frankly, I’d be surprised if they actually do!
I’m 74 years old and I cannot believe I am witnessing my country spiraling into 3 rd rate status!! A pity!
7
unbelievable, yet I expect nothing less from the city of chicago. corruption abounds.
4
His career is probably over just the same. Poetic justice.
3
This gentleman, along with the gentleman in the White House, is fortunate. Justice in America is a fickle, sometimes, thing.
1
"In an interview later, Joe Magats, the prosecutor who made the decision, said that there had been no problems with the evidence or the police investigation into Mr. Smollett. Mr. Magats said he dropped the charges after Mr. Smollett agreed to the community service and to give up the $10,000 he paid for his release, money that would have been returned to him if he had made all his court appearances. He also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that the dropping of the charges “didn’t exonerate him.”
This doesn't mean he wasn't guilty. All this means, according to the article, is that Mr. Smollett made a plea agreement. He's acting like he never lied about it or broke the law. Hilarious!!!
10
Keeping in mind that a prosecutor has the power to lead a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich, a sixteen-count indictment is nothing to sneeze at.
Smollett's story had an odor from the very beginning. In a city filled with street cameras not one picked up the "assault."
His keeping on the noose as the police arrived smelled of theatrics to this Times reader.
And the fact that the Chicago PD had credible evidence that he concocted the story and charged him with false reporting should have been enough to bring this to trial. A lot of time and officerpower was expended here.
I could understand a plea bargain where he owns up to what he did in exchange for community service and a fine. But this? I agree with the Mayor.
12
There should be some resolution between 16 felony counts, which was overcharging by the prosecutor, and outright dismissal (besides the forfeit of the $10,000).
3
Twice in one week we have now experienced, Plutocracy Privilege!
8
It seems to be no hard proof. So therefore how can you charge someone without. Innocent until PROVEN guilty. People that are even in prison some of them are innocent just in the crossfire. I am in agreement to drop all charges
3
@Jacklyn
There was plenty of hard proof or Chicago PD would not have made such a high-profile arrest. The DA is going to come under a lot of fire for this decision.
10
@Jacklyn- It seems they had plenty of evidence. You seriously think a black police chief and a mayor, whose name seems to be hispanic, would go after a double minority alleged criminal without having all their ducks in a row? In a liberal big city? Seriously? The about-face from looking for perpetrators to focusing on Jussie seems to prove they did.
4
@DesertCard
Actually, Rahm is Jewish.
2
Mueller finds Smollett didn’t collude with Russia...
10
Who's going to pay for the police work, investigation, and court time? Taxpayers. This acquittal is ridiculous.
12
Kim Fox did this to cover her actions in the case. But Follow judge Watkins’s bank account vacation schedule appointment to a paying board position or hire by a law firm. He sealed the records and held the emergency court case for a price or a promise.
7
@P L frightening and eye opening
1
Question is: who got paid off?....and by whom?
13
Kinda stinks but in America if you have money you have power. If they would have found him guilty there would have been riots and looting so probably for the best. In a few months everyone will forget and Jussie will move on into an even better job with much better pay. America at its worst I'm afraid.
2
He did such a crazy thing with his admitted accomplices. It’s really awful how he tried to create a race crime to gain. He was on ABC but should be snubbed now. He seems to not have a clue. The whole story was fishy right from the start. MAGA hats at 2am? Really? Night crawling at 2am? Come on brother. You’re story was nuts. You committed the charges.
11
Chicago doing that bad they had to accept 10,000 dollars to let a guilty man go free; yeah 10,000 court dismissed.
6
Completely and utterly UNACCEPTABLE, at least with the data we have right now. The facts clearly indicated he staged the attack, with assistance of 2 Nigerians, and framed the incident as a "White Supremacist' action.
Now in recent days we had evidence that former members of the Obama administration were networking with the Cook County prosecutor behind the scenes to yank the legal proceedings of Smollett's case up to the FBI, due to lobbying (!!!) from the accused's family. These back room dealings appeared to be 100% centered around fellow African-Americans collaborating to get this guy off the hook. Just try to imagine the outrage if the racial connotation was reversed, and Whites were phoning in favors from fellow White prosecutors to produce a favorable outcome in a fraudulent crime targeting Blacks.
Unless further evidence is raised to justify why the charges were dropped, this is a station on the judicial system, and a complete hypocrisy of the traditional narrative of prosecutorial racial injustice.
18
I basically agree with the outcome and Rahn Emanuel needs to "shut up". What does he call his actions in the police shooting (not releasing the tape until after his election) Who really wants to hear from him?
He's not a threat to society, paid a fine, did some "community service". What would society gain by spending thousands in court cost to prosecute him? and he's a first time offender.
We've had enough of Jussie...and Rahn
3
@Shyril he committed a hate crime. he is clearly a threat to society
4
First Donald Trump and now Jussie Smollett? The last time this many charges were dropped in one week was during WWII, when the US Navy went after German U-boats.
7
NYT article quotes the DA as saying that the dropping of the charges "did not exonerate him." He's in good company this week.
6
So, this gives others, permission to commit similar acts and use this case as precedent in having no consequence. I guess money talks. Disgusting.
9
If Donald Trump gets off, why shouldn't this guy?
4
Chicago's PD department is already in the mud given its recent history. Rahm should know by he has failed as a mayor get crime under control in Chicago. Any attempts by the police to harass Smollett will only hurt the PD.
3
So after Ann Coulter and the rest of the right-wing tribe were floating a conspiracy theory that this was the result of prosecutor Kim Foxx having gotten donations from their Lex Luthor -- George Soros -- it turns out it was Joe Magats who made the call.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a retraction.
3
Really you think her assistant made the call. Wink wink nod nod Kim recused herself. She has no involvement. Mayor Daley’s family and friends got their jobs and contracts without his knowledge. Laughable
4
@MisterE. I am far from being a fan of Ann Coulter or the rest of the right-wing tribe, but trust me, Joe Magats did not make this decision without direction from his boss.
7
@ACA
Yes, of course, it's a double conspiracy. Foxx is conspiring with Soros, and Magats is conspiring with Foxx. Magats is falling on his sword and taking the hit in the international press for a miscarriage of justice that even the Democratic mayor is slamming, and Magats's motive to bear the blame is ... ? Magats has no ambitions beyond this one job?
1
Justice for sale in Chicago some Poor people if can’t pay there bailout they keep them in jail until there court date , if you have money and good lower you out , corruption at its best....
3
I have to wonder if this is how Trump and JR got passed Mueller...
1
Gosh, it’s almost like someone got out of criminal liability on a technicality and now we won’t know what the prosecutors were truly thinking when they dropped the charges. I could have sworn something like this just happened the other day in Washington DC!
5
So, now we have two people who aren't exonerated.
Life is good, if you can afford it.
(For what it's worth, I had never heard of Jussie Smollett. The other non-exonerated fellow, I am familiar with.)
3