Jussie Smollett has been released from prison, but his future remains unknown.
Jussie Smollett stepped out of a Chicago prison after spending six days and into months, if not years, of uncertainty — from what’s next for his career as an actor and performer to whether he’ll end up behind bars again.
“Empire” actor, who claimed he was the victim of a hate crime in downtown Chicago in 2019, was sentenced to 150 days in prison, probation, and a $2,500 fine by a jury last week. In the hours after his release, an appeals judge ruled that he may be freed while the appeal process, which would not be concluded until after Smollett had served his whole term.
Smollett, a Black homosexual man, has maintained his innocence. He didn’t speak to reporters as he was led out of the Cook County Jail, surrounded by security, and his lawyers refused to explain where the 39-year-old was going or what he planned to do next.
Smollett must now spend 30 months of probation under the terms of the sentence handed by Cook County Judge James Linn, albeit he may leave the state and travel freely. That implies he may visit destinations like Los Angeles and New York in an attempt to restart his career.
But it will be tough, according to publicists, and recent events may not have helped him.
According to publicist Eric Rose, “I believe he’s really doing more damage than good” by challenging the verdict and punishment. People are tolerant of celebrities who confess fault and apologise, he says, but Smollett is keeping his name and face in the spotlight, reminding people of the circumstances surrounding his conviction.
“That’s what we call ‘death by a thousand cuts,'” Rose said. “That is a disaster in terms of reputation.”
During his trial, Smollett claimed that the charges against him had cost him “my livelihood,” including his spot on “Empire.” Since then, he has worked behind the scenes, writing, directing, and producing “B-Boy Blues,” a film that just earned the “fan favourite narrative feature” award at the American Black Film Festival.
While employment in front of the camera may be tough to come by, Smollett may be able to get work behind the scenes since he has a sister and other family members who have great jobs in the business, according to another publicist, Danny Deraney.
“Anything is conceivable,” he said.
Related Jussie Smollett : Jussie Smollett is about to be jailed for lying to cops about a hate crime hoax.
Smollett, who was convicted on five low-level felony charges of disorderly conduct and acquitted on a sixth, is also in legal uncertainty, with the risk of being sent back to prison to spend the remainder of his term.
In January 2019, Smollett informed Chicago police that he was assaulted by two individuals while walking near his house at 2 a.m. He said the assailants also screamed at him that he was in “MAGA country,” a clear allusion to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan, which some Trump opponents have called racist and bigoted.
The accusations soon drew national attention, with Trump chiming in, and Chicago police claimed they investigated around the clock before finding that the incident was a hoax concocted by Smollett for publicity. Prosecutors showed at trial a check they said Smollett sent to two brothers who worked on the “Empire” set with him as payment for faking the incident.
Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct, but the case was ultimately dismissed by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Smollett was then charged anew, and a special prosecutor was appointed.
Outside the prison on Wednesday night, Smollett’s defence counsel said that facing charges for the second time violated his fundamental rights. They also claimed that Smollett was the victim of a racist legal system and political scheming.
Related Jussie Smollett : Jussie Smollett, the actor, was found guilty of lying to police in a hate crime hoax.
With several deadlines, extensions of deadlines, new deadlines, and more extensions, the appeal process will very probably take months, if not years.
For example, now that Smollett’s lawyers have filed their notice of intent to appeal, they must submit to the court all of the papers, transcripts, and other material created by the case.
“They have 49 days…” said Stephen Komie, a Chicago attorney with vast experience submitting appeals, adding that delaying the deadline for two or three 49-day periods is common.
After that, Smollett’s lawyers have 35 days to submit their brief, which may be extended up to four times, according to Komie. When it comes time for the prosecutors to answer, the court will grant them up to four 35-day extensions.
“If the matter moves swiftly,” he continued, “they may have oral arguments this time next year.” “However, assuming the case proceeds at its typical speed, you will be phoning me in the summer of 2023 to inform me of the oral arguments.”
They may have to wait a few months or more for a ruling, and depending on how that goes, they may have to file an appeal with the state Supreme Court and even the United States Supreme Court.
Smollett also owes $120,000 in restitution and a $25,000 fine, but the money isn’t due for another 30 months, according to the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, he is still being sued by the city of Chicago for the $130,000 in police overtime that the city claims it shelled out to investigate Smollett’s accusation that he was assaulted.
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