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(Chicago, IL) – Embattled actor Jussie Smollett’s disorderly conduct conviction has been overturned. The case stems from charges that Smollett staged an attack against himself in downtown Chicago back in 2019. Smollett lied to police saying that the attack was a racist and homophobic hate crime where he was targeted by two men. The assault sparked a massive manhunt and outrage across the country.
Smollett has appeared in shows like “Empire” and prosecutors claimed that Smollett staged the attack because he was upset over how the studio responded to hate mail he allegedly received. He was found guilty and ordered to 150 days in prison but was released after serving six days while he was appealing the case. The highest court in Illinois ruled that the trial violated his Fifth Amendment rights against double jeopardy – which protects people from being convicted for the same crime twice. The court said since a state attorney agreed to drop the original charges, the second prosecution was a due process violation.
