Jussie Mmollett Sentenced To 150 Days Jail For Lying About Hate Crime

• Jussie Smollett was sentenced by a judge to 30 months probation and 150 days in jail on Thursday.
• The former “Empire”Actor was convicted for lying to police and posing the victim of a homophobic and racist attack.
• Smollett shouted to the courtroom, “He was!” “innocent”And “not suicidal.”

Jussie Smollett received a sentence of 30 months probation and 150 days in jail for plotting a hate crime against him and lying to the police. The actor in disgrace raised his fist and shouted repeatedly throughout the courtroom that it was him. “innocent”And that he was “not suicidal.”

“I am not suicidal! I am innocent. And I am not suicidal,”He said it in court. “If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of black Americans who have been in this country for over 400 years, and the fears of the LGBT community.”

Smollett, 39 years old, was convicted of five felonies of disorderly conduct in December 2021. Smollett, 39, was accused of filing false police reports alleging he was the victim of homophobic and racist attacks. James Linn, Cook County Judge, sentenced Smollett also to $120,106 restitution and a $25,000 fine to the city to cover the costs of the investigation by the Chicago police.

The former “Empire”Actor, who is Black, and openly homosexual, said that two men assaulted him in the early hours of January 29, 2019, shouting. “This is MAGA country!”Smollett said that men beat him, put bleach on him and tied a rope around the neck of his neck like a knot.

Prosecutors claimed that Smollett paid Olabinjo Osundairo (a brother) to pretend that he had attacked him that night. During the trial, the Osundairo brothers testified that Smollett had given them specific instructions and paid them $3,500 for this job.

Cook County Judge Linn praised Smollett’s performance in a fiery speech on Thursday “hypocrisy,”He was called a “charlatan,”Smollett did, however, social-justice advocacy as well as philanthropy. “damage to real victims of hate crimes.”

Linn openedly speculated about Smollett’s motivations behind the hoax. Linn said that Smollett was aware of racial tension. “a sore spot for everyone in this country”Asking him why he would “betray something like social justice issues, which you care so much about?”

“I don’t think money motivated you at all. The only thing that I can find is that you really craved the attention,”Linn. “You took some scabs off some healing wounds for one reason: you wanted to make yourself more famous. And for a while, it worked. You were actually throwing a national pity party for yourself.”

Linn also revealed to Smollett that he had a side. “profoundly arrogant and selfish and narcissistic.”

Smollett was not guilty of all the charges and even testified for his defense during his trial. He stated to the jury: “there was no hoax,” insisted he was genuinely attacked, and said he did pay the Osundairo brothers $3,500 — but only for a nutrition and workout plan.

Linn said Smollett “performance on the witness stand could only be described as pure perjury. You committed hour upon hour upon hour of pure perjury.”

Smollett’s supporters begged for the judge not to send him to jail

Smollett was defended by his attorney and he asked Judge Linn last month to either overturn the conviction, or to grant him a new trial. Linn denied the motion on Thursday, arguing Smollett was not subject to due process because of his prosecution.

“I do believe at the end of the day that Mr. Smollett had a fair trial,”Linn. “There was nothing unconstitutional about these proceedings.”

Smollett could have been sentenced to up to three years imprisonment, but experts predicted that Smollett would be sentenced to community service or probation due to the nonviolent nature the crimes.

Ahead of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, a number of Smollett’s supporters — including those in the racial justice community and the entertainment industry — submitted letters to Linn pleading for leniency for Smollett.

Samuel L. Jackson, Rev. and LaTanya R. Richardson Jackson were the actors. Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Rev.

On Thursday, the defense called several witnesses to the witness stand to support Smollett. These included the music director of “Empire,”Smollett’s older brother and Smollett’s 92-year old grandmother. They all described Smollett to be a compassionate and generous social-justice advocate, and pointed out that the crimes Smollett was convicted for were not violent.

Smollett was seen wiping away tears as his grandmother and brother spoke.

“The Jussie I know and love does not match up with the media’s portrayal of him,”Molly Smollett, his grandmother, spoke to the court. “Jussie is loved and respected by all that know him. I ask you, judge, not to send him to prison. If you do, send me along with him.”

Sean Wieber, a special prosecutor, had asked Linn to impose some sanctions on Thursday “period of incarceration,”Smollett was then criticized in a statement. He was accused of lying to him while under oath, lying about the investigating officers and undermining the true victims of hate crime. Wieber also condemned Smollett for not apologizing or acknowledging any wrongdoing. “not a single act of contrition has happened in this case.”

“He lied to them over and over and over again,” Wieber said. “He denigrated, degraded true hate crimes and he marginalized the people who are true victims of hate crimes. That is what he did. And he did that knowingly.”