Cook County State`s Attorney office defended its decision to drop all charges against actor Jussie Smollett, but a cloud of controversy surrounds the case (WGN’s Patrick Elwood reports).
First Assistant State’s Attorney Joe Magats explained Tuesday why Jussie Smollett was not charged for allegedly staging a hate crime.
The Cook County prosecutor said the decision to drop the charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was made because his office ultimately decided to prioritize other cases, and replied to WGN’s Patrick Elwood that the Smollett case did not involve preferential treatment because the State’s Attorney’s office has diverted or done alternative prosecutions or alternative outcomes in cases over 5700 times in the last two years.
Magats said Smollett paid $10,000 and did community service for 16 hours from the time the grand jury proceedings involved indictment and today, March 26, 2019. Magats said Smollett worked in a bookstore for Operation Push, but didn’t have any more details on the community service.
TMZ’s Behind The Bar’s Jason Beckerman says a close friend of Michelle Obama intervened on Smollett’s behalf in the last few weeks. Actually, the close friend is former President Barack Obama’s Assistant and Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff Christina Tchen (Tina Tchen), who sent emails and/or text messages to Kim Foxx (which have been leaked) that indicated she discussed the management of the Jussie Smollett case, and pushed toward exoneration of the Jussie Smollett. The messages go back to at least February 2019. Tchen is well-known in Chicago, having worked as an Associate Attorney and partner with the Chicago law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before working in the Obama Administration. Tchen is not currently listed on the Skadden Arps official website.
Tchen’s texts and emails to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, followed by the decision to drop the case against Smollett resulted in Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police to requesting a formal investigation into abuse of power in failing to pursue charges in the Smollett case.
The Jussie Smollett case might not be over, because double jeopardy doesn’t attach until a jury is empaneled and a case actually commences. This apparently did not occur yet in the Jussie Smollett case because the indictment of the grand jury doesn’t apply to the next stage of an actual trial. There are also possible federal charges because of an alleged fake mailed letter that Smollett is suspected of emailing to himself.
Prosecutors drop all charges against ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett; and Tucker Carlson asks why Jussie Smollett didn’t talk about pursuing the true perpetrators of the alleged attack.
Former DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey tells CNN’s Brooke Baldwin the Jussie Smollett case “stinks” and needs to be looked at more closely.
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See also …
Jussie Smollett Update: Texts, Emails Reveal Foxx Asked Johnson to Turn Investigation Over to FBI
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s texts and emails”. Chicago Tribune. 2019-03-13.
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Jussie Smollett Charges dropped, Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls it a ‘Whitewash of Justice’ | Behind The Bar’s Jason Beckerman says a close friend of Michelle Obama intervened on Smollett’s behalf in the last few weeks. Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff Tina Tchen sent email and/or text messages to Kim Foxx (which have been leaked) that indicated she discussed the management of the Jussie Smollett case, and pushed toward exoneration of the Jussie Smollett.