Jussie Smollett claims his constitutional rights were violated, attesting the court prevented his legal team from participating in jury selection in his recent false reporting trial.
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Jussie Smollett Requests New Trial Or Not Guilty Verdict
Just two months after Jussie Smollett was convicted of allegedly falsely reporting a hate crime against him, the former “Empire” actor is asking for a new trial in Chicago or to have his guilty verdict tossed.
In documents obtained by NBC News, Smollett and his attorney are claiming the court “made numerous trial errors leading up to the trial and during the pendency of the trial.”
They are declaring that Jussie’s legal team was not allowed to ask questions of the prospective jurors, claiming prosecutors reflected racism in selecting jurors that prevented them from uncovering any juror bias in the high-profile case. Jussie also claims witnesses were pressured into give false testimonies.
The Night Of Jussie’s Attack
The alleged attack took place on January 29, 2019. Smollett told cops two supporters of former President Donald Trump beat him up, drenched him in bleach, and called him racial and homophobic slurs while they placed a noose around his neck. The police investigation led to the arrest of brothers Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo, who were later released. Smollett was then arrested on Feb. 21, 2019.
Legal Team Still Believes In Jussie
Back in December 2021, Smollett was found guilty of up to five counts of felony disorderly conduct for staging a hate crime against himself and falsifying a police report. The jury found that the actor recruited brothers Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo to accost him in hopes of raising his social status. With just two weeks before the actor was set to be sentenced, Smollett’s legal team disputed all charges set against the actor. Although Smollett could be facing up to three years behind bars, it is up to the judge to decide if he will have to serve his time.