Prosecutors have urged an appeals court to reject Jussie Smollett’s latest bid to overturn his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack he staged..
In a filing Tuesday with the Illinois Appellate Court, prosecutors said Smollett’s argument that a judge erred in dismissing a juror during deliberations is without merit..
Smollett, who is Black and gay, was convicted in December 2021 of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police about the alleged attack in downtown Chicago in January 2019. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail but was released after serving six days when an appeals court agreed to consider his request to be freed on bond while he appealed..
Smollett has maintained his innocence and has argued that he was the victim of a real attack. His attorneys have filed several appeals, including one that argued that the trial judge, James Linn, abused his discretion by dismissing a juror who said he had heard rumors about the case and had done his own research online..
Prosecutors said in their latest filing that the juror’s dismissal was proper because he had violated the court’s instructions not to conduct any independent research on the case. They also said that Smollett’s attorneys had ample opportunity to question the juror about his potential biases before he was seated on the jury..
`Smollett’s remaining arguments on appeal are similarly meritless,` the prosecutors wrote. `The trial court conducted a fair and impartial trial, and the jury’s verdict was supported by overwhelming evidence.’.
Smollett’s attorneys have until March 14 to file a response to the state’s arguments..
The appeals court is expected to rule on Smollett’s appeal later this year. If the court upholds his conviction, he could be ordered to serve the remainder of his 150-day sentence..
The case has drawn national attention and has raised questions about race, homophobia, and the role of celebrities in society. Smollett’s supporters have argued that he is being unfairly targeted because he is Black and gay, while his critics have accused him of lying about the attack to gain sympathy and attention..
