Jussie Smollett has pleaded not guilty in Chicago to six counts of disorderly conduct, including filing false reports of a hate crime this past Monday.
What We Know:
- It is the second set of charges brought against the former Empire actor in connection to his filing of a police report in January 2019 where he claimed to be the subject of a bigoted attack.
- According to the Associated Press, Judge James Linn set a $20,000 personal recognizance bond, which means Smollett doesn’t have to pay any of it. The actor, who was not taken into custody, is due back in court on March 18.
- This case, which began in January 2019, has ended up attracting a significant amount of attention from the media, celebrities, and even the president. That attention quickly turned to scrutiny and grew exponentially after police began investigating Smollett.
- In March 2019, a grand jury indicted Smollett on 16 counts of lying to police. Later that month, Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges, merely citing Smollett’s history of volunteering and community service before the arrest. There was also an agreement made to forfeit his $10,000 bond to the city whic led to political fallout that battered an already tense Chicago.
Last June, a judge ruled that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx mishandled the case. Dan Webb was brought in as a special prosecutor, after the grand jury’s investigation revealed that Jussie Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, along with making numerous false statements to the Chicago Police Department.
