A Chicago jury reached its verdict in the trial of Jussie Smollett on Thursday evening, finding the actor guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct and not guilty of the sixth count he faced.
As Townhall reported at the time charges were filed by a special prosecutor, Smollett faced "six felony counts of disorderly conduct, charges that stem from four separate false reports that he gave to police in which he contended he was a victim of a hate crime 'knowing that he was not the victim of a crime.'"
NBC Chicago broke down the specifics of each count:
Count 1 accuses him of telling responding Chicago Police Officer Muhammed Baig at around 2:45 a.m., some 45 minutes after the purported attack, that he was the victim of a hate crime. He said two attackers put a rope around his neck. Count 2 refers to Smollett telling the same officer he was a victim of a battery, describing attackers beating and pouring bleach on him.
Counts 3 and 4 are when Smollett made the same claims but to a different officer, Kimberly Murray, later that morning, at just before 6 a.m.
Count 5 accuses Smollett of again telling Murray at around 7:15 p.m. that he was the victim of a battery. Count 6 refers to Smollett reporting on Feb. 14, 2019, to detective Robert Graves that he’d been a victim of an aggravated battery.
And while the felony with which Smollett was charged carries a maximum of three years in prison, legal experts say it's likely the former "Empire" actor will only face probation and community service as a sentence.
The jury began its deliberations around 3:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday and continued until a little after 6:00 p.m. ET, then resumed Thursday morning at 10:10 a.m. ET before announcing it had reached a verdict after roughly nine hours of deliberations over the two days.
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The trial itself at times became as entertaining as the details of the hate crime hoax Smollett was accused of orchestrating against himself.
As Guy covered, it was revealed during the trial that Smollett had taken his "attackers" on a dry run the day before the actual crime took place in order to make sure they were all familiar with the roles they'd be playing... a rehearsal that was caught on camera.
Amazing. Smollett brought his "attackers" on a dry run the day before the fake hate crime, and it's on video. pic.twitter.com/vsBQeldtSZ
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 30, 2021
Another interesting nugget was related to the mainstream media's role in the hoax and its aftermath and how Smollett found out he was under investigation. After initially believing Smollett's story without question, much of the liberal media cast aside any questions about Smollett's ludicrous tale, and attacked those who poked holes in the fib. Among them was CNN, specifically anchor Don Lemon, who said Smollett's plight was "personal" for him.
As Landon reported, "the 39-year-old Smollett said in his court testimony that he received a text from Lemon, who supposedly informed the "Empire" star that the CPD did not believe his attack occurred the way he described it." Thanks to Lemon's tip-off, Smollett knew to guard his information when talking with authorities and delayed turning over his cell phone, Smollett explained on the witness stand.
At the time of Smollett's claim, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were among those who bought the story, likely because it was just too good for their narrative to bother waiting for more information.
What happened today to @JussieSmollett must never be tolerated in this country. We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie. https://t.co/o8ilPu68CM
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 30, 2019
.@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I’m praying for his quick recovery.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2019
This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.
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