Jussie Smollett Wants His 2019 Hate Crime Hoax Conviction Tossed. Should It Be Thrown Out?
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On Tuesday, the Illinois Appeals Court heard oral arguments by attorneys for Jussie Smollett that his 2019 conviction should be dismissed. The former “Empire” star was convicted of orchestrating a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago against himself.
Smollett was charged with 16 felony charges that he allegedly faked a hate crime against himself, but those charges were dropped. However, a new indictment and trial soon followed. The actor was ultimately convicted on five of six counts of disorderly conduct in 2021.
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If the appeal doesn’t work, Smollett will be forced to complete his jail sentence that was ordered by the court. The appeals court, which is comprised of three judges, is expected to rule within the next few weeks.
In his first post-jail interview last year on “Sway in the Morning,” Smollett still claimed the attack was real and that he was hurt by those who said otherwise. “It’s very interesting when someone lies on you over and over and you know what is the lie... and you know what is the lie...but then you’re forced to acknowledge the truths around the matter as well,” he said.
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