Jussie Smollett, known for his role in the TV show “Empire,” has taken his legal battle to the Illinois Supreme Court. He argues that prosecutors made a deal to drop the initial indictment for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself, and therefore, he should not have been prosecuted a second time.
Key Takeaway
Jussie Smollett is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing that the prosecution’s decision to pursue charges against him for a second time violates a previous deal made with the State’s Attorney.
Prosecution Deal Dispute
Smollett contends that the State’s Attorney offered him a deal after the first indictment. The deal involved performing community service and forfeiting his bond to the City of Chicago, in exchange for not facing prosecution. He points to the prosecutor’s statement, which indicated that the case would not be prosecuted following the completion of the community service and bond forfeiture. Smollett insists that the second prosecution violates the principle of double jeopardy, as he had already fulfilled the terms of the deal.
Legal Rejection and Appeal
Despite his arguments, both the trial judge and the Illinois appellate court have rejected Smollett’s claims. However, he is now seeking the intervention of the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn the decision.
Background
Earlier, Smollett was convicted of five felonies related to orchestrating a fake attack on himself and was sentenced to serve 150 days. After serving six days, he was released from Cook County Jail pending his appeal.
