A Racist, Homophobic Assault...

[Crackpot]

“Whitewash”?! Really?

[Bicycle Bill]

All charges dropped against actor Jussie Smollett

Chicago prosecutors have dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett, the black and gay actor accused of faking his own hate crime.

“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollet’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this is a just and appropriate resolution to the case,” the Cook County State Attorney’s Office said in a statement to ABC News.

In other words, he bought his way off the hook.

-"BB"-

[Scooter]

For $10,000? Justice would be purchased pretty cheaply at that price, even in Chicago.

[Econoline]

That's just the over-the-table figure. Who knows what went under the table, and to whom?

[BoSoxGal]

After watching AC and Cuomo discuss this with various legal guests tonight I have a more fully developed opinion.

It appears that the way they screwed up the case was post - police investigation, as the DA’s office failed to charge, or give immunity and a cooperation deal to the two key witnesses and alleged ‘perps’ of the faux hate crime. Apparently, out and about at their own devices they may have recanted and/or become uncooperative, thus putting the state’s case in a precarious position.

Of greater relevance is the argument that the prosecutor reviewed the dispositions of hundreds of similar cases in Chicago (of false reporting to police) with defendants of similar position (no criminal history) and this disposition was in keeping with those other cases - they didn’t want to treat him differently, including overly harshly, for who he is.

If that’s true it’s better justification- but how did they not have a conversation with the PD and Mayor‘s office ahead of time? Not good practice. And of course the PD is pissed because they invested so much resource and manpower into the investigation in an effort to bend over backward and prove they were taking him seriously.

So sadly he’s probably still a puke.

[liberty]

After watching AC and Cuomo discuss this with various legal guests tonight I have a more fully developed opinion.

It appears that the way they screwed up the case was post - police investigation, as the DA’s office failed to charge, or give immunity and a cooperation deal to the two key witnesses and alleged ‘perps’ of the faux hate crime. Apparently, out and about at their own devices they may have recanted and/or become uncooperative, thus putting the state’s case in a precarious position.

Of greater relevance is the argument that the prosecutor reviewed the dispositions of hundreds of similar cases in Chicago (of false reporting to police) with defendants of similar position (no criminal history) and this disposition was in keeping with those other cases - they didn’t want to treat him differently, including overly harshly, for who he is.

If that’s true it’s better justification- but how did they not have a conversation with the PD and Mayor‘s office ahead of time? Not good practice. And of course the PD is pissed because they invested so much resource and manpower into the investigation in an effort to bend over backward and prove they were taking him seriously.

So sadly he’s probably still a puke.

I saw the interview with the DA on CBS he said basically that he did not want to take the case to court. He said he was willing to give the guy a break because he had more important cases to try, like murder.

I don’t have a problem with it; I think the government both state and federal puts to many people in prison as it is. They should come up more creative ways to punish peopled like house arrest, loss of rights and fines. Prison should be for those who have proven themselves to be dangerous and those that will not cooperate in their punishment.

And I don’t think he is puke. He is just a typical self-centered American that wanted to elevate his profile. I don’t think he ever thought that some innocent person could have gone to prison.

[Bicycle Bill]

I don’t have a problem with it; I think the government both state and federal puts to many people in prison as it is. They should come up more creative ways to punish peopled like house arrest, loss of rights and fines. Prison should be for those who have proven themselves to be dangerous and those that will not cooperate in their punishment.

lib, old man, that sounds suspiciously similar to the parents who don't spank their kids but figure that taking away a privilege or putting them in a "time-out" is ample punishment.
You know .... (gasp) — radical, liberal, left-wing thinking?

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

DP

[BoSoxGal]

I don’t have a problem with it; I think the government both state and federal puts to many people in prison as it is. They should come up more creative ways to punish peopled like house arrest, loss of rights and fines. Prison should be for those who have proven themselves to be dangerous and those that will not cooperate in their punishment.

And I don’t think he is puke. He is just a typical self-centered American that wanted to elevate his profile. I don’t think he ever thought that some innocent person could have gone to prison.

I agree with your first assertion as to the state's need to be putting fewer people in prison and promoting more creative means of punishment. Of course since we privatized so much of the prison industry and it's profit-driven now that will be hard reform to bring around - but the truth is that there is so much terrific potential for community service and cost savings from the hundreds of thousands of lower-level offenders that we are missing out on by instead spending money to keep them housed, it's nearly criminal in itself.

As to your second assertion I have to disagree vehemently. He IS a puke. There was never a chance that some innocent person could have gone to prison because he and his cohorts were all guilty - unless, I suppose, the Chicago PD had snatched up some innocent MAGA-loving white guy and Smollet had used his acting skills to wrongfully accuse that person, which I suppose could have happened.

Who knows what this guy is capable of? What kind of person who is a minority on two fronts makes a joke of hate crimes against those two minorities by staging a false attack for pecuniary gain? Only a real lowlife, in my book. If the case was as solid as they laid out, and the only shortcomings are the possible lack of cooperation after the fact by the two co-conspirators and the media nightmare that the CA's office probably doesn't mind avoiding even absent that problem - then he's guilty as sin and there. is. no. excuse.

I sincerely hope he doesn't get to go on and profit by having no impact to his career. He has put his family and his community in a terrible position that doesn't end today, they'll be struggling with how to grapple with his actions for years to come. For that alone he deserves more consequences than a $10k fine and a couple of days snapping selfies with fans at the BAI. It's utterly wrong that his dismissal agreement allows him to claim total innocence - it should require him to apologize to the people of the City of Chicago.

eta: The only thing I will add is that IF he had evidence of serious mental disorder or substance disorder, that might explain his actions to some degree as being a product of stress and disordered thinking - but that still requires acknowledgement of guilt and should be accompanied by a request for forgiveness. More likely he's got some deep-seated incurable personality disorder in order to be able, in the face of all the reckoning, to continue to assert total innocence.

Meanwhile the Chicago PD spent 10x as much time on his stupid lie of a case than they've spent on the unsolved murders of thousands of black kids in Chicago. Some of that is because of the community's deep-seated distrust of law enforcement and how that makes it nearly impossible to investigate serious crime, and some is due to institutional racial bias that affords fewer resources to the black victims of violent crime. How does Smollett's abuse of the system and the pass he got for it do anything to improve relations between the larger black community and the Chicago PD and Cook County CA's office? It doesn't.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Meaning no disrespect and acknowledging the appallingly low solve-rate for all murders in Chicago (only 17% in a good year), I feel obliged to question this:

Meanwhile the Chicago PD spent 10x as much time on his stupid lie of a case than they've spent on the unsolved murders of thousands of black kids in Chicago. Some of that is because of the community's deep-seated distrust of law enforcement and how that makes it nearly impossible to investigate serious crime, and some is due to institutional racial bias that affords fewer resources to the black victims of violent crime.

As a possible reference, of the 66 Chicago murders in 2019 thus far, only a half-dozen were below the age of 20, all but two 18 or older. The most prevalent agent group seems to be mid-20s and up into mid-30s (my quick eyeball of the ChiSunTimes data). Approximately 15 of the 66 deaths are identified as white by the same data. All deaths are regrettable and diminish society and the social compacts. I do not wish to minimize the problem

How many "thousands" of unsolved murders of "black kids" are there on the books and since what year (because unsolved murders remain open, even though cold)?

How much money did the investigations of all unsolved murders ever committed amount to?

How much money was spent on this bogus alleged hate crime?

Is there a 10 x difference between those two numbers?

You have accurately mentioned two causes of difficulty in solution of the murders of blacks. But are there not several others: the refusal of surviving victims of gun attacks to cooperate because vengeance is on their minds - they are gangstas themselves and will see to it. Also, witnesses live in fear of gang retaliation. Also (and sadly) perhaps police forces are sometimes less er. . . motivated to find out who killed gang members?

[BoSoxGal]

Yes, I employed some hyperbole. Nonetheless, there are many, many unsolved murders that could use a few hours attention, not to mention some of the hundreds of hours that were burned on Jussie Smollett.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/03/25 ... g-backlog/
Illinois State Police said they hope new measures put in place to reduce the backlog–like increased staffing and the addition of new technology–will help deal with a backlog of 5,121 cases pending DNA testing. The backlog includes 2,298 sexual assaults and 658 murder cases.

Are we really defending him?


To clarify, I'm not saying that they spent more time on Smollett's case than ALL the unsolved murders combined - but many of those cases get almost no time dedicated to them at all. I'm pretty sure there are many grieving parents in Chicago looking at this situation and saying WTF?! about how much police and prosecution time went into it with no productive result - and the productive result doesn't have to be conviction/incarceration, but holding him accountable publicly for the harm to the community, maybe? I dunno seems fair.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Agreed, BSG. Agreed. Thanks.

[ex-khobar Andy]

The Guardian always has a wonderful turn of phrase:

• Trump has weighed in charges being dropped against Jussie Smollett. The president said the FBI and Department of Justice will review the Smollett case, after prosecutors in Chicago abruptly dropped their case against the Empire actor, but failed to exonerate Smollett, on Wednesday. Trump was not-exonerated by Robert Mueller earlier this week.

[BoSoxGal]

That show he was on, Empire, has been coming up in my Hulu stream for a couple of years now, so last night I checked it out. It’s Dynasty/Dallas-esque, but set in the music industry and more specifically R&B, hip-hop, rap, etc. It’s a bit too tawdry for my tastes - as the others were - but the lead female actor is so incredibly watchable, I got a bit hooked on it for her - Taraji Henson.

Anyway, from my observation Smollettt is a pretty gifted singer and a pretty good (obviously) actor, too. It’s too bad he couldn’t be happy with his success - the show is critically acclaimed and he had a central role in it - and let the bigger fame come in its own time.

[Lord Jim]

the lead female actor is so incredibly watchable, I got a bit hooked on it for her - Taraji Henson.

I really liked her as Det. Joss Carter in Person Of Interest, but I'm not a prime time soap fan, (I didn't like the original Dallas or Dynasty) so I've never watched Empire...

[Econoline]

[Lord Jim]

This decision looks entirely appropriate to me:

Jussie Smollett ordered to pay city of Chicago $130,000 for cost of investigation

A lawyer for the city of Chicago said Thursday the city is seeking $130,00 from actor Jussie Smollett as restitution for the cost of the investigation he initiated. Smollett had been charged with 16 felony counts for allegedly lying to Chicago police about being victim of a hate crime, but all the charges were dropped earlier this week in a controversial decision made by the Cook County state's attorneys office.

In a letter signed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel's senior legal adviser Edward Siskel and addressed directly to Smollett, the city claims Smollett's "false statements" led to police "diverting resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system."

Smollett has maintained his innocence and told reporters Tuesday after his charges had been dropped that he's been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

The letter claims the the "Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your own attack," and requests from Smollett an "immediate payment of the $130,160.15 expended on overtime hours in the investigation of this matter," to be paid within seven days.

The letter was sent to Smollet's attorney Patricia Brown Holmes' office in downtown Chicago.

If Smollett fails to pay the City of Chicago Corporate Counsel, the letter states he faces prosecution by the Department of Law and a fine of no less than $500 and a maximum of $1,000, "plus up to three times the amount of damages the city sustains as a result of the violation."

The Cook County State's Attorney's office said Tuesday it was dropping the charges "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."

The city spent more than $150,000 on his case.[Okay, so not entirely appropriate; S19,839.15 short...]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jussie-smo ... 019-03-28/

[Big RR]

I'm not sure if he would be criminally liable for anything the city could "prosecute" him for, but he could well be civilly liable for the enhanced damages and penalties (the city may have a municipal ordinance that he has violated for which he could be prosecuted, but so far no reports I have seen have pointed to one). Likewise, I don't see any "order" to pay--more like the city sending him a final invoice and threatening legal action if he ignores it. Personally, I hope they follow through and pursue the money.

[Econoline]

From the news story in the OP:

According to Smollett, at least one assailant told him “this is MAGA country” during the alleged attack.

Chicago just elected a black, lesbian mayor...which pretty soundly refutes this guy's opinion of Chicago!

[ex-khobar Andy]

Guilty on 5 of 6 charges. Possible 20 years. (I doubt it will be that much, but he did stick to his lies for way too long.)