On March 2022, actor-musician Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail for staging a hate crime against himself in 2019. The case itself began in January that year when Smollett reported to Chicago police he’d been attacked by two men. He alleged they shouted racist and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him, and put a noose around his neck. As the investigation progressed, however, inconsistencies in Smollett’s story began to emerge. This led police to conclude he had staged the hate attack with the two men.
Now one year following his admission of guilt, Smollett’s legal team has officially filed to appeal his sentence. Smollett’s legal team argues the sentence is too harsh, and that he should have been given probation instead. They also contend there were errors made during the trial, including the exclusion of certain evidence. In addition, they mention admission of testimony from the two brothers who allegedly helped him. The appeal is expected to be a lengthy process, and it is unclear how long it will take for a decision to be made. In the meantime, he will remain free on bail. Jussie served six days out of the sentence last year before he was released.
Jussie Smollett’s Appeals Stems From His 2019 Hate Crime Hoax
The former Empire star was formally convicted of the hoax hate crime in December 2021. Jussie was initially charged with 16 felony counts relating to “false report of offense,” but the charges were later dropped. Later, a special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the handling of the case. They indicating Smollett again on six counts, and the jury found him guilty of five disorderly conduct charges. They dimissed the one count of making a false report to police. In the end, Jussie was sentenced to 150 days in jail and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to the City of Chicago.
The Smollett case has sparked a great deal of controversy, with some arguing he was unfairly targeted by the justice system. Others believe that he committed a serious crime and should be punished accordingly. Regardless of the appeal outcome, the case is likely to continue to be a debatable topic for some time. As of recent, a docuseries has been announced regarding the hoax, which will take a “deep dive into a scam.”
[Via]