Jussie Smollett special prosecutor blasts Illinois supreme court for ignoring evidence to overturn conviction

The peculiar authoritative who investigated Jussie Smollett's bizarre anti-Trump hoax slammed today's astonishment ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court that overturned his condemnation connected a technicality. 

U.S. Attorney Dan Webb told DailyMail.com successful a connection that the ruling 'has thing to bash with Mr. Smollett's innocence', and the 'legal reasoning upends long-standing Illinois precedent.' 

The tribunal recovered that the erstwhile 'Empire' histrion had his rights violated by the peculiar prosecutor's determination to retry him aft archetypal charges against him were dropped with an statement that helium would not beryllium re-charged. 

Webb pointed retired successful his connection that 'all of this behaviour happened 5 months prior' to his appointment, and adjacent though his actions led to the decision, the tribunal 'did not find immoderate mistake with the overwhelming grounds presented astatine trial.'  

Smollett was convicted successful December 2021 for lying to constabulary astir an alleged occurrence successful Chicago 2 years before, where helium claimed 2 men bushed him, yelled homophobic slurs and placed a noose astir his cervix portion wearing MAGA hats. 

He was sentenced to 150 days successful jailhouse and 30 months' probation aft it was proven that helium made the occurrence up, and helium was besides slapped with a hefty good of $130,160. 

Smollett appealed the ruling and has not yet served a time of that condemnation down bars, adjacent after his condemnation was antecedently affirmed by a little court successful 2023 earlier the Supreme Court agreed to perceive his appeal. 

The actor's hoax and consequent apprehension sparked a media firestorm years ago, arsenic it was recovered that helium had really paid 2 Nigerian brothers - Abel and Ola Osundairo - to signifier the incident. 

Webb continued successful his effect to the overturning: 'My bureau spent astir 2 years processing grounds and moving intimately with the Chicago Police Department to hole that lawsuit for trial. 

'It is precise important I constituent retired that today’s determination is besides not the effect of immoderate mistake oregon behaviour by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the proceedings court, oregon the Chicago Police Department.' 

He noted that Smollett 'did not adjacent situation the sufficiency of the grounds against him successful his appeal.' 

Webb alleges that the Supreme Court made a mistake successful its determination implicit the statement that Smollett made with the Cook County State’s Attorneys’ Office (CCSAO) successful 2019 that helium would not beryllium re-charged. 

'The Illinois Supreme Court reached this determination notwithstanding the information that the CCSAO dismissed the archetypal Smollett lawsuit via a nolle prosequi, which does not barroom re-prosecution nether Illinois law, and Mr. Smollett’s ain lawyers told the nationalist instantly pursuing the dismissal of his archetypal lawsuit successful March 2019 that determination was “no deal” with the CCSAO,' helium said. 

Webb concluded: 'Today’s ruling does not alteration however profoundly arrogant I americium of the enactment my Special Prosecutor’s bureau accomplished. 

'Nor does it undermine the jury’s verdict, and astir importantly, it does not wide Jussie Smollett’s name—he is not innocent.' 

When Smollett archetypal came guardant with his story, the histrion was met with wide support, and the Chicago PD vowed to swiftly find his attackers. Smollett adjacent showed constabulary the noose that helium claimed helium was astir lynched with. 

Although Smollett claimed helium was attacked by 2 achromatic Trump supporters, detectives reviewed surveillance footage and zeroed successful connected the Osundairo brothers arsenic suspects. 

When presented with a grainy surveillance representation of the brothers adjacent the scene, Smollett said they were 'absolutely' the men who attacked him, not realizing they had already been arrested. 

One of his attorneys, Tina Glandian, claimed that Smollett whitethorn person misidentified the brothers - who helium had besides conscionable been connected the telephone with moments earlier - because they could person been 'in disguise' successful achromatic makeup. 

She went connected to constituent to a 2016 YouTube video of Abel Osundairo, the member successful question, wherever helium is wearing achromatic make-up to execute a Joker monologue for Halloween arsenic impervious of her theory.

By that time, stories had leaked that detectives believed Smollett had concocted the story, seemingly successful an effort boost his nationalist profile. 

Smollett went connected Good Morning America to tearfully importune helium was the victim, but by February 2019, a period aft the incident, helium was arrested and charged with filing a mendacious constabulary report, and his quality from Empire was halted. 

However, contempt a expansive assemblage indicting him for repeatedly lying to cops, the charges against Smollett were past sensationally dropped a period aboriginal successful March, sparking outrage from the public. 

President Trump led the backlash arsenic helium decried the charges being dropped arsenic an 'embarrassment to the nation', while Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson, who is Black, said astatine the time: 'Jussie Smollett took vantage of the symptom and choler of racism to beforehand his career.' 

The Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, amounted it to a 'whitewash of justice' that proved Smollett was treated mildly by the strategy due to the fact that helium is simply a personage and a salient fig successful the city. 

After helium was fined $140,000 for wasting constabulary resources, a peculiar authoritative was named to analyse wherefore the charges against Smollett were dropped. 

It was this determination that has present led to Smollett's eventual condemnation to beryllium overturned this week, arsenic it was recovered his rights were violated because Smollett had agreed with prosecutors that helium would not beryllium re-charged astatine the clip aft the lawsuit against him was dropped. 

In February 2020 Smollett was indicted again connected felony lying to police, and pursuing a contentious proceedings wherever helium maintained his innocence, Smollett was convicted astatine the decision of his proceedings successful 2021. 

Smollett again sparked backlash during his condemnation hearing, arsenic helium triumphantly raised his fist to look defiant, contempt being caught successful a lie. 

When the Illinois Supreme Court handed down the ruling to overturn that condemnation connected Thursday, Chief Justice Theis and Justice Cunningham recused themselves from the decision. 

The court's sentiment pointed to the statement Smollett had with Illinois prosecutors aft his charges were dropped. 

'We are alert that this lawsuit has generated important nationalist involvement and that galore radical were dissatisfied with the solution of the archetypal lawsuit and believed it to beryllium unjust,' the sentiment read. 

'Nevertheless, what would beryllium much unjust than the solution of immoderate 1 transgression lawsuit would beryllium a holding from this tribunal that the State was not bound to grant agreements upon which radical person detrimentally relied.'