An Illinois appeals courtroom upheld actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction for a staged hate crime in an opinion filed Friday.
The choice was 2-1, with Justice David Navarro and Justice Mary Ellen Coghlan agreeing. Judge Freddrenna Lyle dissented, in line with courtroom paperwork obtained by Fox News Digital.
Smollett’s authorized staff will file an attraction with the Supreme Court.
“We wish to highlight that the decision was divided, with Justice Lyle offering a detailed analysis in favor of Smollett,” his rep Holly Baird instructed Fox News Digital.”We are preparing to escalate this matter to the Supreme Court, armed with a substantial body of evidence.”
JUSSIE SMOLLETT’S CAREER OVER DESPITE APPEAL; HE BURNED BRIDGES: EXPERT

Jussie Smollett misplaced his attraction of his hate crime hoax conviction Friday. (Nuccio DiNuzzo)
Special Prosecutor Dan. Ok. Webb shared a press release following the appellate courtroom’s choice to uphold the conviction.
“As the appellate court noted, Mr. Smollett ‘challenge[d] virtually every aspect of’ the prosecution, and the appellate court correctly rejected each and every one of those challenges,” Webb stated. “Today’s decision is a validation of Winston & Strawn’s tireless work on this matter and a resounding victory for justice. We are proud to have prevailed in a case that, we believe, can help restore the public’s confidence in the Cook County justice system.”
A jury beforehand discovered Smollett responsible on 5 of the six costs of disorderly conduct after a virtually two-week trial in 2021. Smollett, who’s Black and homosexual, reported to Chicago Police that he was the sufferer of a racist and homophobic assault by two males carrying ski masks in January 2019.

Jussie Smollett maintained his innocence throughout his sentencing listening to. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune by way of AP, Pool)
The manhunt for the attackers quickly became an investigation of Smollett and his subsequent arrest on costs he’d orchestrated the assault and lied to police about it.
Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail following the conviction. The actor was additionally sentenced to 30 months felony probation, restitution to the town of Chicago within the quantity of $120,106 and a nice of $25,000.
During the sentencing listening to, Smollett maintained his innocence. “I did not do this, and I am not suicidal, and if anything happens to me when I go there, I did not do it to myself, and you must all know that,” Smollett stated.

Jussie Smollett is led out of the courtroom after being sentenced on March 10, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Brian Cassella-Pool/Getty Images)
Smollett reported to jail on March 10, 2022, and was launched simply six days later pending his attraction.
After Smollett’s staff recordsdata for an additional attraction, the Illinois Supreme Court will determine whether or not to listen to the case. If the actor’s conviction is just not overturned, he might be required to serve out the remainder of his 150-day jail sentence.
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In this courtroom sketch, actor Jussie Smollett stands in a Leighton Criminal Courthouse courtroom on Dec. 9, 2021 as a jury finds him responsible on 5 of six costs he staged a racist, anti-gay assault on himself and lied to police about it. (AP Photo/Cheryl Cook)
The “Empire” actor’s authorized staff filed the attraction in March 2023.
In paperwork obtained by Fox News Digital on the time, Smollett’s authorized staff argued the “renewed prosecution” violated Smollet’s due course of rights. In addition, the “circuit court judge improperly denied the defense motion for substitution of judge for cause because of his explicit bias towards Mr. Smollett, rendering every subsequent ruling and action in this case null and void.”
Smollett’s attorneys additionally argued “inappropriate comments” made throughout cross-examination impacted the jury’s capacity to supply an unbiased verdict.
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This reserving picture offered by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office exhibits Jussie Smollett. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office by way of AP)
His authorized staff had deliberate to attraction the decision for the reason that December 2021 trial.
“The verdict is inconsistent,” lawyer Nenye Uche stated throughout a press convention on the time. “You can’t say Jussie is lying and say Jussie is not lying for the same exact incident.”

Jussie Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct and submitting a false police report in February 2019, after he was accused of orchestrating a pretend hate crime. After being discovered not responsible in March 2019, he was charged with six new counts of mendacity to the police in February 2020. (Photo by Chicago Police Department by way of Getty Images)
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jussie-smollett-conviction-upheld-illinois-appeals-court