Crime

Jussie Smollett Exonerated! No Collusion!

All charges dropped.

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Jussie Smollett (Photo by Chicago Police Department via Getty Images)

As Chicago police turned their sights on Jussie Smollett and mused that he probably staged the hate crime attack upon himself, Donald Trump used the Twitter machines to blast Smollett for making “racist and dangerous comments” about the risk of hate crimes in America, while Don Jr. retweeted every update that suggested Smollett was the real perpetrator of the crime against him.

This morning, the Chicago prosecutors who earlier secured a 16-count indictment against Smollett decided to drop all those charges and fully expunge his record. His attorneys released this statement:

“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement.

Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result.

Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career.”

One presumes that the Trumps will quickly and sincerely retract their comments and offer Smollett heartfelt support. After all, when a law enforcement official declines to go forward with a prosecution, that is the same as an exoneration. Certainly there will be some naysayers who will see the motion to seal the case that the judge granted as the makings of a cover-up, allowing someone to evade justice without allowing the public to scrutinize the investigative findings, but that’s just conspiracy theory talk!

The summary we’ve received from the lawyers in this case assuring us that there’s no need to go forward are the only proof we need. I’m sure we can all agree on this.

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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