Jussie Smollett Case: Charges Dropped
On January 29, 2019, Jussie Smollett was allegedly attacked. He claimed that his assailants with racist and homophobic intent punched him in the face, poured an unknown substance on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck. On January 31, 2019 police asked to see Smollett's phone so they could confirm details. However, Smollett refused to cooperate. Finally, on February 11, Jussie Smollett gave police a PDF file of his phone records. However, the files were redacted and some things were hidden. As a result of this, on February 17, the 'trajectory of the investigation' had changed. Three days later, Smollett was charged by police. He was arrested, fired from his role on Empire, and charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct, yet he pleaded not guilty.
After an emergency court appearance, all the charges against Smollett were dropped. Smollett is saying that he is totally innocent. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel said that Smollett was "let off scot-free, with no sense of accountability for the moral and ethical wrong of his actions.” On March 27, Smollett’s lawyer said the case was officially closed. This news made Mayor Emanuel very unhappy. He called this “a whitewash on justice,” and said that it dragged Chicago's “reputation through the mud.”
The main man at fault for dropping charges against Smollett is Chicago prosecutor Joe Magats. However, even though he dropped the charges, he still says he thinks Smollett is 100% guilty. This is seen as unfair and wrong to many Americans. It is clear that the only reason he got all 16 charges dropped is because he is in a position of power and influence. Magats defense as to why he dropped the charges was that Jussie forfeited a $10,000 bond payment, and he has done two days of community service. The office of of Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx stated, “after reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."
Donald Trump called the case an “embarrassment to our nation” in a tweet posted on March 28. Trump also said that the FBI and the Department Of Justice will be investigating the case. Chicago police also ordered Smollett to pay $130,000 to cover the cost of police officers working after hours on the case.
It's very clear that Jussie Smollett did stage the attack, and if he were not a celebrity, he would definitely be in jail. If he were a regular civilian, he would not have had all 16 charges against him dropped. It is upsetting to realize that this is how our legal system works, and how it can favour certain people over others.
By Ben Schleifer