You may have forgotten about it. Jussie Smollett, the actor who has been found guilty of staging a phony racist and homophobic attack on himself, has been sentenced to pay restitution to the city of Chicago, a $25,000 fine, the maximum provided by the law, and a jail sentence the first 100 days of which are to be served in Cook County Jail.
He continues to claim he’s innocent.
This is breaking news. I’ll publish links as they become available.
Update
CHICAGO (WLS) — Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 30 months probation for lying to police about staging a hate crime attack against himself in Chicago, but will spend the first 150 days of the sentence in Cook County Jail.
Cook County Judge James Linn excoriated Smollett prior to handing down his sentence for what he referred to as “misconduct and shenanigans.”
“I’m going to tell you Mr. Smollett, I know that there is nothing that I will do here today that will come close to the damage you’ve already done to your own life,” Linn said.
In considering the sentence, Linn said Smollett’s “extreme” premeditation of the crime was an aggravating factor.
“You committed hour upon hour upon hour of perjury,” Linn said.
WGN:
BREAKING UPDATE: Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days of jail and 30 months of probation. He will have to pay back the City of Chicago just over $120,000 in restitution and was also fined $25,000.
Following the sentencing, he had an emotional outburst and screamed “I am not suicidal and I did not do it.â€
A more appropriate choice of words than “emotional” would have been “histrionic”.
Actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in the Cook County jail and 30 months probation for staging a hate crime near his Chicago apartment in 2019.
He was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago and fined $25,000.
In handing down the sentence Thursday, Judge James Linn scolded the actor at length for perpetrating a hoax that distracted police and harmed the social justice causes Smollett had spent much of his life supporting, but conceded there was no sentence a judge could give the former “Empire†actor that would be worse than the public humiliation the star had endured since faking the attack.
What I said to my wife was that, unfortunately, the appropriate sentence would be beyond the power of the law: anonymity.
I think the predictions I saw were probation and community service. I thought that would be too law; it’s essentially what he would have gotten if entered a plea agreement. Some time behind bars to make things clear.
(I re-watched Eve’s Bayou a few months ago for the first time since I saw in the theatre. I was surprised to see two Smolletts in the credit, including Eve, and both Jussie’s siblings. Really good movie.)
I haven’t followed this trial or situation for quite a while. I was really surprised to learn that Smollett maintains his innocence despite evidence to the contrary.
And the weird outburst about not committing suicide probably means he’s a real suicide risk.
So perjury is less than 150 days. That speaks volumes.
I don’t want to see this jackass suffer extraordinarily. But he could have set off serious consequences. He is the poster boy for a wicked movement. And yes, he perjured himself.
1 year min. We need to stop this fake hate crime crap.
Compared to the catch-and-release policies of several large, leftist cities, the penalty might be excessive: a fine yes, but imprisonment?
We now live in an age where virtually every hate crime that is reported is a hoax. That goes back at least to the Duke lacrosse team’s alleged rape of a stripper in 2006, which was a total fabrication, and which featured a faculty lynch mob.
†So perjury is less than 150 days. That speaks volumes.â€
…..unless it involves someone’s ideology that is more conservative than socially progressive. In that case “justice†wants to keep a person in custody forever, and then throw the key away when a conviction is rendered.
“…unless it involves someone’s ideology that is more conservative than socially progressive.”
Indeed. eg Gen Flynn vs any progressive heroes.
Over 100 days in Chicago jail sounds pretty darn harsh unless there is a “celebrity jail” that Jussie can go to.