Market Research Biz News: Jussie Smollett sentenced to hate crime hoax in March

Chicago (CBS) — Actor Jussie Smollett will be sentenced to five charges of chaotic behavior in March after being convicted of organizing a fake hate crime against her in January last year.

Cook County Judge James Lin scheduled a hearing on Wednesday for Smoret’s decision and told prosecutors and defense lawyers to provide a list of witness candidates by March 3. ..

December 10 A Cook County jury found Smollett guilty of five out of six counts of chaotic behavior., While acquitting him on the sixth count. In January 2019, prosecutors charged Smoret with a fake racialist and homosexual attack and lied to police for publicity.

Smoret’s conviction dealt with misrepresenting him as a victim of hate crimes and batteries to several different police officers.

Alleged chaotic behavior is a class 4 felony and can result in up to three years’ imprisonment. Smollett remains freely detained while waiting for a ruling.

CBS2 legal analyst Irv Miller says Smollett is unlikely to be sentenced to prison for a significant amount of time for lying to police in the name of his brother during a DUI arrest in California. ..

“So he’s not really the first criminal. So when the case comes to a ruling in a month or so, the judge gives a pre-judgment report by a probation officer and his entire background ( Explain good or bad), or he should not be on probation, and frankly, under Illinois law, he should be on probation for a Class 4 felony. There is an estimate, “Miller said.

However, Mr Miller said prosecutors could ask judges to imprison Smollett for up to six months in addition to probation.

“It’s a reasonable probability because the judge might look at him and say: Smollett, you lied on that stand. You lied to these juries. You lied to these juries. You lied to the police. You lied to me. I think you didn’t take that first step towards rehabilitation, and you’ve earned a little prison time, “Miller said. ..

Special counsel after a jury convicted Smollett in December Dan Webb The verdict that Smollett performed a fake hate crime against himself was called a “sounding message.”

“During closing arguments, I told the jury that the evidence was overwhelming, but I said. In fact, Mr. Smoret forged a hate crime, lied to the police about it, and in the course of this trial. He exacerbated his crime by lying to the jury and insulting their intellect. ” “With the solid verdict we just received from this jury, after a day of deliberation, Mr. Smollett did exactly what we said by reporting a fake crime to the Chicago Police Department. I found that I had committed virtually all the crimes. As a real crime. “

Meanwhile, defense counsel Nenye Uche He said he would appeal Smollett’s conviction and felt “100 percent confident” that the appeal would be successful.

“We are confident in the appeal system,” Uche said. “We are confident in the Illinois Supreme Court.”

Regarding the specific reasons for the complaint he may have, Uche said, “If I start listing the reasons for the complaint, I’ll be here for 10 hours.”

Black and gay Smoret told police that he was attacked while walking home on Lower Northwater Street around 2:00 am on January 29, 2019. A racist and homosexual slur beat him, hung a rope around his neck, and poured chemicals on him.With the police The prosecutor said Smollett adjusted it himself, Pay two brothers – Abel and OlaOsundairo – $ 3,500 to assist in staging the attack.

Smollett said the attacker had sprinkled him with bleach and hung a rope-like rope around his neck. Abel and Ora Osundylo were initially detained – suspected of carrying out an attack on Smollett.

But in turn, Smollett went from victim to suspect – charged with six counts of felony chaotic acts for staged attacks and lying to police.

The brothers told investigators that Smoret gave them money to buy ski masks, ropes, and red hats that looked like supporters of President Donald Trump.

Police said Smollett adjusted the plan for an anonymous, hateful letter sent to the studio where the “empire” was filmed – and Smollett did not think the threat was taken seriously. Told.

The jury heard from 14 witnesses during a six-day testimony during Smollett’s trial. Smollett confronts his defense, There were no hoaxes, and he repeatedly claimed that the attack was genuine.

“To answer all your questions about mischief, I’m going to deny. There was no hoax,” Smollett told Webb during the cross-examination.

Smollett told the jury that he paid the Osundylo brothers $ 3,500 to help with training and nutritional advice, rather than performing a fake hate crime against himself.

He also testified after the attack that his brother had told him he was willing to publicly say that they were not part of the hoax. If he paid them $ 2 million.

Early in the trial, Abel Osundylo denied that Smollett would demand $ 1 million each from him and his brother not to testify to Smollett.

The Brother Osundylo was a major witness to the prosecution During the trial, Smollett requested that the attack be staged and claimed to have paid. They said Smollett wanted to use the incident security video to promote, but the actual attack was not captured by the camera.

When asked about the alleged fake attack, Abel said, “He explained that he wanted me to beat him with a fake.”

Gloria Rodriguez, a lawyer representing the Osundairo brothers, said her client “couldn’t be more satisfied with the outcome” of the trial.

Other news: Prosecutor providing judicial transactions to accused cereal fraudster Candy Clark

Jussie Smollett sentenced to hate crime hoax in March – CBS Chicago

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