By Gabriella Ogbu
The Illinois Supreme Court has announced its decision to hear the appeal filed by former ‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett challenging his convictions. Smollett’s legal team argues that his Fifth Amendment rights against double jeopardy, which prohibits being punished twice for the same offense, were violated during his 2021 trial.
The case stems from Smollett’s claims in 2019 that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. However, a comprehensive investigation later revealed evidence suggesting that Smollett had orchestrated the incident himself. Subsequently, he faced 16 charges of disorderly conduct.
In a controversial turn of events, Smollett reached an agreement with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to have the charges dropped in exchange for a $10,000 bond and community service. Despite fulfilling these conditions, the case was reopened by a special prosecutor in 2020. The special prosecutor argued that part of the initial agreement included the expectation of restitution for the alleged offense.
Ultimately, a grand jury reinstated the accusations against Smollett, leading to his conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021. He was ordered to pay $130,160 in restitution, placed on 30 months of probation, and sentenced to 150 days in jail. However, Smollett served only six days in prison before being released pending his ongoing appeal.
