Jussie Smollett: I have no idea what to think!

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I hope it's okay to discuss this here. The charges have been dropped, so I think it's okay to talk about it?

At first, I was appalled by the attack. Then, I was appalled that he lied. Now I'm appalled that he may be innocent after all! If he is innocent, then I feel really bad for him!

I'm suspicious as to why the charges have suddenly been dropped.

If he is honest he has my sympathy.

If he's lying he gives the rest of us a bad name.

Just because the chargers have been dropped doesn’t mean he’s innocent

It doesn’t sound like he’s innocent - it sounds more like a deal, because he has had to do community service and has surrendered his bond. That wouldn’t be the case if he were completely exonerated surely. A US colleague of mine said that this sort of deal is done fairly frequently where the individual is a first-time offender. Seems odd though and pretty confusing.

He made a deal, the other parties have already admitted their roles. Not much use pursuing a convinction when the outcome will be public duties which have already been served, would be a waste of public funds

He's still saying he's innocent though? So someone's lying.

He's saying he's innocent because 1. The case is now sealed so no one will ever really know what went on, so better to play it like you didn't do it then admit fault and 2. He's delusional!

He has a lot of friends in high places, that's the only reason he got away with it

He’s not innocent, the charges were dropped with the agreement he’d forfeit his bond and do community service. However, it cost CPD far more to investigate than the 10k his bond is worth. If you’re interested look up what Rahm Emmanuel (mayor of Chicago) had to say on it. My colleague called him the shame of our city today which I can’t really argue with. We very rarely make the international news, recently it’s only been the polar vortex and this idiot. But the FBI are still investigating him for allegedly writing fake hate mail to himself so something may still come of that.

I think it’s just how he (probably more accurately his lawyers) have decided to spin this, so that he has some kind of a career to go back to I guess. Whether people are convinced is another matter.

I think I read somewhere that the separate FBI investigation (the mail related part) is ongoing, although I wonder what would be the point now.

It doesn't mean he's innocent at all. He's done a deal and of course he won't admit it. I think it's terrible that he can have a clean record when they had so much evidence.

I fully support and believe the Chicago police department and agree with Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel who has strongly criticized the decision to drop charges against Smollet in return for forfeiting his $10,000 bond and doing community service. It was a "whitewash of justice" and that "From top to bottom, this is not on the level".

Police superintendent Eddie Johnson says that justice was not served.

Smollet sent himself a threatening letter which did not get him the attention he thought it would so he staged an attack which his accomplices have rolled on him to reveal his part and he should have gone to jail.

At least everyone knows what a piece of work he is and hopefully it will all backfire on him and his career will suffer.

Very stupid man, he was doing well with his acting and no need to have done this. Greed blinds people though.

Joyfullittlehippo -

This is the deal -

On March 26, 2019, all charges filed against Smollett were dropped, with Judge Steven Watkins ordering the public court file sealed.

First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats said the office reached a deal with Smollett's defense team in which prosecutors would drop the charges if Smollett performed community service and forfeited his $10,000 bond.

He's guilty but has friends in high places who have helped him cut a deal. The Chicago police were obviously left out of the loop. Interestingly, Blind Gossip ran two stories on him. The first, dealt with his strategy for the court proceedings and I thought "good luck with that!" Guess I was wrong. The second story dealt with the producers of Empire and what they were planning to do and it obviously wasn't going to be a good outcome for Jussie. Will they welcome him back now that the case has been been dropped? Will there be leaks despite the case being sealed? I can't help thinking that proclaiming his innocence is not a clever move.

I have been following some of this case and I think I believe him. My reasoning being, that surely someone in his position-if they were going to fake something like that, it would be done better? Plus the police and other officials seemed a little too eager to blame him.

There's now a third story on Blind Gossip! Suggesting a pollical motive.

Seems to me the Chicago prosecutors decided it was not worth going to court over this. Jussie had a high priced legal team who were saying he would never plead guilty and so there would be a trial. They already wasted police time on this, now judge/jury/court as well? They only have so much manpower so did a calculation and came to a deal.

I believe he will spin it that he's been proven innocent but he hasn't been.

I too find this case totally baffling and my reactions have been all over the place on each new twist.
If he’d only get community service and has already done that that in itself doesn’t make sense really.

Happens a lot here eg someone in custody awaiting trial and then has already served longer than they would ever receive often that will result in accepting g plea to lesser or release on bail but not going straight to dropping case of itself.

I’ve wondered if a medical report was ordered re fitness to plead/stand trial which may have had implications and meant it was not in the public interest (part of prosecutor test here in uk) to proceed.
Trouble is it seems as though no one is able to be open about the case which makes it a bit bewildering.
Hmmm

Sam221 - don't forget he has form for lying. He previously gave a false name when stopped for a DUI.

Evidence found he had paid the two brothers $3,500 to stage the attack. Its hard to cover up a money trail.

The brothers have rolled on him and told police Smollett staged it all. I believe them.

I think a DUI and this type 'hoax' are worlds apart. I guess I can't understand why the money trail would be so easy follow, why would he do that? Surely he would have covered his tracks better? It all just feels all a little too easy, in pathways back to him-which in my mind begs the question-why would someone go to those length but not do a proper cover up(iyswim) in his position?
Maybe I watch too many crime dramas?!!

I feel sorry for the brothers. There will always be some people who will think Smollet is telling the truth and these two beat him up.

It's odd that the records are sealed, meaning that we will never know what went on.

I doubt Jussie will get his career back. Too many people think he's lying.

Just because they’ve quashed the charges doesn’t mean he’s innocent, remember.