Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty
On Mar. 16, cries for Jussie Smollett’s release were heard as the actor was freed from jail on bond. An appeals court granted a motion requested by the Empire star’s legal team to have him removed from the Cook County jail as he awaits an appeal of his conviction.
“Let me make something clear: There is no room for politics in our court system and our appellate courts in this great state do not play politics,” Uche added.
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As per the appeal court’s decision, Smollett was released after he was able to post a personal bond of $150,000.
As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, on Mar. 11, the 39-year-old was convicted of staging a hate crime against himself in 2019 and was ordered to serve 150 days in jail. The actor must also pay more than $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago. Smollett will be required to spend 30 months on felony probation, following his prison sentence. Additionally, the actor has been ordered to pay $25,000 in fines for committing the staged hoax.
On Jan. 29, 2019, Smollet filed a police report with the city of Chicago claiming that he was violently attacked by two men who began hurling racial and homophobic slurs at him while he was walking near his Streeterville apartment in downtown Chicago at 2 a.m en route to eat at Subway. The two men allegedly tied a noose around his neck and shouted “This is MAGA Country” during the heated exchange.
The suspects, who were later discovered to be brothers named Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo, claimed that Smollett coached them through how to carry out the attack, allegedly giving them $100 to buy the supplies needed and instructing them to place the noose around his neck and yell homophobic slurs. The men claimed that Smollet staged the incident in order to gain publicity so that he could advance his acting career. They were both allegedly paid a fee of $3500 to carry out the assault, but Smollett claimed that he wrote the check to Abimbola for “training and nutrition advice.” The check served as key evidence throughout the case.
After Smollett’s conviction was read, a number of big stars stood in solidarity with the actor including Taraji P. Henson, Pose actress Indya Moore, Samuel L. Jackson, and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson, who wrote a letter to Illinois Judge James B. Linn requesting clemency for the star.
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