(FreePressBeacon.com) – In a shocking twist, the Illinois Supreme Court has overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction for staging a hate crime hoax.
The court’s ruling nullifies Smollett’s conviction for fabricating a racist and homophobic attack against himself and it is based on a controversial agreement with prosecutors.
Despite overwhelming evidence that Smollett carried out the hoax, the actor walked free after forfeiting a mere $10,000 bond and performing community service.
According to the liberal-leaning Illinois Supreme Court, this slap on the wrist was apparently enough to protect him from further prosecution.
Justice Elizabeth Rochford declared, “We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust.”
“Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the state was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied,” she added.
This decision has been described as a dangerous precedent that potentially allows criminals to escape justice through backroom deals and legal plotting.
The court’s ruling seemingly sidestepped the mountain of evidence against Smollett, including the Osundairo brothers’ testimony claiming Smollett paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.
Special prosecutor Dan Webb expressed his disappointment, stating:
“The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Mr. Smollett orchestrated a fake hate crime and reported it to the Chicago Police Department as a real hate crime, or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct.”
As Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel put it, Smollett has been “let off scot-free, with no sense of accountability for the moral and ethical wrong of his actions.”
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