(ConservativeHub.com) – In January 2019, actor Jussie Smollett claimed to be the victim of a horrendous hate crime that sent him to the hospital with injuries. In the months after, Chicago police found that it was fabricated, and the city later sued Smollett for expenses related to the fraudulent report. In December 2021, prosecutors convicted Smollett of five of the six felony counts of disorderly conduct. Now, a court has handed down his sentence.
On Thursday, March 10, Smollett appeared in Cook County Court, and Judge James Linn sentenced him to 150 days in county jail. He will also serve 30 months of felony probation after his jail time. Additionally, Smollett must pay damages to the tune of just over $120,000 to the city of Chicago and a $25,000 fine.
During the sentencing, Smollett spoke up and said, “I’m not suicidal, I’m innocent!”
Jussie Smollett after the sentencing: “I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, you must all know that.” pic.twitter.com/xe2wYpQJ4O
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 11, 2022
Judge Linn took Smollett to task, saying he might very well be the reason other people don’t come forward about real hate crimes, fearing people might not take them seriously because of Smollett’s actions.
Smollett requested a new trial following his convictions, but the judge denied his request. His attorneys have said they will appeal the decision.
On Sunday, March 13, Smollett’s brother Jocqui said that Smollett had been moved to a psychiatric ward due to concerns from jail officials that he was “at risk of self-harm.” However, he denied that there was any risk and maintained that his brother was “stable,” “strong,” and “healthy.”
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