This trial was over a long time ago. Not sure why it dragged on like it did.
I just don’t understand why he keeps saying he’s innocent. It can’t be good for his career.
A friend of mine who was a Crown prosecutor once did get an information from the police, alleging “assault with a weapon, to wit, a ham sandwich.”
Barrom brawl that ended when the cops came.
I think the Crown stayed the charge.
Here’s an opinion piece written by States Attorney Kim Foxx. This is her opinion, not mine.
"When the preliminary investigation suggested that significant portions of his story appeared untrue, many of the specific details quickly found their way into the public sphere. Almost immediately there were leaks to the press, causing the Chicago Police Department to launch an internal investigation. Then-Supt. Eddie Johnson flew to New York City for a live interview on Good Morning America to discuss the evidence and Mr. Smollett’s assumed guilt prior to formal charges being filed.
Given the reputational price Smollett paid, the $10,000 bond we held, and the fact that he’d never been accused of a violent crime, my office made the decision not to further pursue a criminal conviction. This story should have ended there, as thousands upon thousands of non-prosecuted cases do every day."
Eh, I suppose those mothers who are awaiting justice don’t deserve to have some entitled celebrity use being a victim of violence as publicity stunt. Though it’s true, prosecuting some bullshit incident takes resources away from prosecuting the serious stuff. And it is also true that prosecutors should not defer to opinion-makers when exercising discretion, and celebrity suspects/victims/witnesses should not get different treatment, pro or con.
But the way Team Smollett insists on that he is, too, a victim of violence, is suggestive that he would have continued to milk it. Serms like now he is going to brand himself as having been a victim of injustice and picked on just to make an example.
(Although, however unfairly, by bringing up “progressive prosecutors” Foxx risks contributing to the narrative that these just don’t want to prosecute anything where there weren’t shots fired or blood on the ground.)
I have to agree. Overall, I think the piece shows a blindness to certain kinds of privilege (wealth and celebrity) and unfairly taints the earnest work of progressive prosecutors.
Wow. This full on disgusts me. She really thinks that someone falsely alleging a hate crime is something to not bother prosecuting. She somehow doesn’t get that this would embolded others to claim that such allegations were fake.
This guy didn’t just falsely allege the crime. He manufactured it. Surely you should want to prosecute someone, same as you would prosecute someone who paid people to attempt to rape them, lest they embolden rape apologists.
And she mentions progressive prosecutors, acting like anyone who was remotely progressive would be okay with emboldening hate crimes like this.
And all to cover up for what is alleged, which is that she showed favoritism to the guy because she knew him, and that the $10,000 bond was not really bond (as bond is supposed to be paid back) but a bribe to not prosecute.
Yes, disgusting. And apparently entirely consistent with how Foxx has performed in her current job. Which is why a lot of people in this area would like to see someone else in that job.
I agree. Hard to compare Smollett’s high profile “hate crime” allegation with some anonymous false report. And tho I think incarceration inappropriate, I do feel there is value in an official judgment that he did wrong.
Now he’s been moved to the psych ward. I hope he gets the help he needs.
Jussie Smollett placed in psych ward at Cook County jail, brother says | Fox News
Not just this case, but this argument always pisses me off. We let someone off this time and then they commit (allegedly) another crime. Where upon we hear “and the fact that he’d never been convicted of a violent crime, my office made the decision not to further pursue a criminal conviction.”
I don’t understand the her continuing to defend him at this point, I estimate that 90% of America is against Smolett at this point and only 2% of that remaining 10% actually thinks he’s legitimately innocent. This is the one court case where I’m pretty sure all of America United in finding Smollett full of shit.
The obvious solution is to put him in solitary so he has no contact with other prisoners–and thus can’t be harmed by them.
Also give him a tinfoil hat so he can’t claim that he’s being harmed psychically.
His brother says:
“He is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him,”
The court filing says:
The lawyers, who are pursuing an appeal, further argue that Smollett’s detention in court-ordered protective custody is essentially “solitary confinement” and could inflict “extraordinary damage on his mental health.” They also claim Smollett has a “compromised immune system,” so his “potential exposure” to Covid-19 while in custody also raises a “serious health risk.”
One of these is not like the other.
I will at least agree that solitary confinement is too severe, even if it’s just a side effect of protective custody. Solitary confinement is harsh. Were I the judge, I’d probably order him a psych eval to clear him for house arrest. He didn’t hurt anybody.
I can’t imagine a situation where I would be in prison and not want solitary confinement. Why would I want to wade in the dregs of society?
It really depends how social you are. If you’re in protective custody or segregated not because of bad behavior, being stuck in my cell for 22.5 hours a day with a few books sounds pretty pleasant. But most prisoners aren’t the solitary reading type and the only thing they have looking forward to every single day is hanging out and talking with people. Not to mention from what I understand if you get thrown in solitary for bad behavior you get no books except the Bible because it’s a punishment and then that’s when you start going crazy.
Wonderful conversations with murderers, rapists, child molestors, and such?
New twist.