An appeals court upheld Jussie Smollett’s conviction after the actor was accused of faking a racist and homophobic attack against himself.
An Illinois appeals court upheld Jussie Smollett’s disorderly conduct convictions, which his lawyers appealed, after the actor was accused of faking a racist and homophobic attack against himself in January 2019 and lying to the Chicago police about it.
The “Empire” star, who is Black and gay, challenged evidence, the jury selection and the role of a special prosecutor as part of the appeal filed in March of this year, along with raising questions about other aspects of the case. A jury had convicted Smollett on five felony counts of disorderly conduct, a charge that can be filed in Illinois when a person lies to police.
Now that the appeal has been dismissed, Smollett’s hopes to avoid serving the rest of his 150-day jail sentence lay with the state supreme court. If it doesn’t take up his case, or if his next appeal fails, he must finish the sentence. He only spent six days in prison previously while the appeal was processed.
