All Charges against Jussie Smollett dropped.....

[Knappo 1307]

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/03...arges-dropped/


What?

[Art 1]

Crazy

[Brew]

Weird. Record expunged. Something really odd here.

Oh, and IBTL.

[Fencer]

Not surprising at all.

[superdog]

I’m not surprised.

[tyler1980]

all we know is we dont know. he could have been telling the truth all along

no way this just disappears w/o there being more to the story.

cases shouldn't be tried in the press anyway

[Wesley Crusher]

Ibtl

[RLX_NY]

Not really surprised, I'm sure there's a lot more to this story than we hear.

Ohh and IBTL lol

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

all we know is we dont know. he could have been telling the truth all along

no way this just disappears w/o there being more to the story.

cases shouldn't be tried in the press anyway

Yes it’ll be a movie staring guess who

[Blansky]

As a casual observer with no political axe to grind in this at all, it's pretty bizarre with the cops still saying he's guilty and they have more proof and him saying he hired the two goofs to be personal trainers and not pull a scam.

It could be that the prosecution didn't think they could win and the 2 goofs he hired were unreliable as witnesses.

And why forfeit his ten grand bail. I'd want it back.

Very strange. More news to come I'm sure.

[keithl]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/03...arges-dropped/


What?

Lot's of "deals" are made in Chicago.

[goin camping]

The police Dept. and the Mayor are sure angry about it.

[The Libertine]

There’s still the Federal aspect of this case.....

Oh, IB4TL.

[Fencer]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/re...t-to-kim-foxx/

[Fencer]

Originally Posted by The Libertine

There’s still the Federal aspect of this case.....

Federals usually only work in the opposite direction.

[johnny80s]

It’s the cook county double standard.

[Star Ferry]

OK, the (also African-American) head of Chicago Police still says Smollett committed a hoax. Proving that the real issue isn't race or politics -- it's the totally disparate treatment of the wealthy and well-connected vs. everybody else.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

OK, the (also African-American) head of Chicago Police still says Smollett committed a hoax. Proving that the real issue isn't race or politics -- it's the totally disparate treatment of the wealthy and well-connected vs. everybody else.

kind of hard to prove someone made something up that didn't happen. Cant prove a negative. You can prove it did happen, if it did. So the fact this disappeared all of a sudden its totally possible there was actually corroborating evidence that was discovered. Seemed as though absence of evidence of a crime occurring meant the crime didn't happen, which in and of itself is weird.

we dont know

[DLRIDES]

Been waiting on this, doesn’t surprise me at all.

[bellesdad0417]

But he forfeits a 100K bond so basically that was his fine instead of jail time.

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

kind of hard to prove someone made something up that didn't happen. Cant prove a negative. You can prove it did, if it did. So the fact this disappeared all of a sudden its totally possible there was actually corroborating evidence that was discovered.

we dont know

The police who investigated the incident, and gathered all the evidence, continue to assert it was a slam dunk case against him. The AG's office simply declined to prosecute, with not so much as a text or phone call to the mayor or the Chief of Police. The fact that they're sealing the file further suggests to me that there was plenty of incriminating evidence.

If there were any evidence proving it wasn't a hoax, we'd have seen it. Smollett, his attorneys, and others would be shouting it from the rooftops.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

OK, the (also African-American) head of Chicago Police still says Smollett committed a hoax. Proving that the real issue isn't race or politics -- it's the totally disparate treatment of the wealthy and well-connected vs. everybody else.

I think that's quite true. And prosecutors do drop cases all the time when they don't think they can win them.

Part of my issues from the beginning was the supposed motive by Smollett which was concocted by someone that he did it to gain sympathy resulting in more money/higher salary from the producers of Empire.

Generally people who produce content would prefer that people weren't tainted or controversial as it affects rating and people watching, and not for the better.

If you want an elevated status in the public's mind, do charity work, donate to non political causes etc. Being a victim is not seen as a great asset.

[tmmii]

I just don’t understand why he is still working. Roseanne posts a bad tweet and is fired and this guy tried to physically start a race war and they are just letting it go.

[Brew]

Is there an emoji for poop swirling around a fllushed toilet?

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

The police who investigated the incident, and gathered all the evidence, continue to assert it was a slam dunk case against him. The AG's office simply declined to prosecute, with not so much as a text or phone call to the mayor or the Chief of Police. The fact that they're sealing the file further suggests to me that there was plenty of incriminating evidence.

Well the police always say their stuff is a slam dunk. Perhaps part of the issue of the sealing the documents had to do with the people in the police leaking information to the press which there was some sort of investigation of. The Chicago police has a pretty nasty history.

Lets face it the prosecutors office is a political animal and there are other considerations made on whether cases go forward. And that also has to do with police being charged in killing people. This stuff isn't as above board as it seems to be or maybe should be.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by tmmii

I just don’t understand why he is still working. Roseanne posts a bad tweet and is fired and this guy tried to physically start a race war and they are just letting it go.

Really.

Well I guess the war has been postponed.

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by Blansky

Well the police always say their stuff is a slam dunk. Perhaps part of the issue of the sealing the documents had to do with the people in the police leaking information to the press which there was some sort of investigation of. The Chicago police has a pretty nasty history.

Lets face it the prosecutors office is a political animal and there are other considerations made on whether cases go forward. And that also has to do with police being charged in killing people. This stuff isn't as above board as it seems to be or maybe should be.

True, the Chicago Police have made plenty of mistakes. But I believe the vast majority of officers are doing their best to carry out their duties. In America, court records generally are made available to the public. Sealing is against the public interest and should be done only for good reason. This "emergency hearing" -- wherein high-profile charges were dropped with no notice to the city's leadership -- may not be the greatest injustice in the grand scheme of things, but it's IMO pretty shady.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

True, the Chicago Police have made plenty of mistakes. But I believe the vast majority of officers are doing their best to carry out their duties. Court records generally are made available to the public. Sealing is against the public interest and should be done only for good reason. This "emergency hearing" -- whereby high-profile charges were dropped with no notice to the city's leadership -- may not be the greatest injustice in the grand scheme of things, but it's IMO pretty shady.

You could be right. You live there.

My initial reaction was the two perps/conspirators would melt on the stand when questioned by the defense or their stories fell apart recently and the prosecutors office thought it better to walk away from it.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

True, the Chicago Police have made plenty of mistakes. But I believe the vast majority of officers are doing their best to carry out their duties. In America, court records generally are made available to the public. Sealing is against the public interest and should be done only for good reason. This "emergency hearing" -- wherein high-profile charges were dropped with no notice to the city's leadership -- may not be the greatest injustice in the grand scheme of things, but it's IMO pretty shady.

at the end of the day 16 felonies with a max of 64 years stemming from a fake police report is hardly justice. Look at white collar crime where you can commit fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement or whatever and get a couple of years, maybe.

Even if he made it up the charges were ridiculous. And yes, i think he should have gone to jail, but really?16 felonies. No way

Charging him with making a fake police report and not going all crazy maybe would have been a sensible option to begin with and everyone is happy, justice is served.

[GoingPlaces]

Will never know, but this certainly stinks. Perhaps the witnesses were paid off? Again, we will never know.