Jury finds Jussie Smollett guilty of staging hate crime against himself
A jury finds Jussie Smollett guilty on first five counts and not guilty on last one
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Jussie Smollett has been found guilty on 5 out of 6 charges in the alleged hate crime hoax trial.
The jury found Smollett guilty on the first five counts and was found Not Guilty on charge #6 –aggravated battery, wearing a hood or mask to conceal his identity – after a contentious week of witness testimony, counsel arguments and deliberation.
Smollett remained stoic as the jury read the verdict. The actor sat upright and stared straight ahead without showing any real emotion.
Judge Linn said he will order a pre-sentencing investigation and attorneys will meet via conference call to determine a date for pre-sentencing motions
The judge also said the jury will not be speaking to the media today, if they ever choose to. He is also having deputies escort them to their cars.
The jury in Jussie Smollett’s trial has officially begun day two of deliberations.
At 10:10 a.m. ET, jurors reunited and began discussing whether or not the “Empire” actor is guilty of six counts of lying to police about the alleged hate crime attack he experienced in January of 2019.
The jurors were given a few hours on Wednesday to discuss the case following the conclusion of closing arguments. They briefly asked the judge if they could be provided with a piece of evidence to review before the judge decided to end court for the day and reconvene Thursday.
After deliberations conclude, the world will know whether Smollett is guilty or innocent.
Actor Jussie Smollett, center, departs with his mother Janet, second from left, from the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in Chicago, after Cook County Judge James Linn gave the case to jury. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
As the jury continues deliberations on Thursday, some believe that, because of the hit to his reputation, Jussie Smollett has already lost regardless of the decision.
After closing arguments concluded on Wednesday, the jury is now tasked with deciding whether to find the former "Empire" actor guilty of staging a fake hate crime attack against himself with brothers Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo. Now, a branding expert has told Fox News Digital that he may not be able to recover his career after the trial.
"If Jussie Smollett were going to find redemption, then A-list celebs and media-hungry policymakers would be lining up behind him, but that has not happened," Evan Nierman, CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan and author of the book "Crisis Averted," told Fox News Digital. "Initial support has been replaced by people running for the Hollywood Hills to avoid being connected to him."
Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about the attack. They are low-level felonies and carry a possible sentence of three years in prison, but legal experts say if convicted he would most likely get probation and be ordered to perform community service. However, after testifying, the judge may wish to throw a heavier sentence at him. Nierman notes that, regardless of if he avoids jail time, the future for Smollett as an actor looks bleak.
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Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courts Building as the jury begins deliberation during his trial. ( Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Jurors in Jussie Smollett's trial are expected to resume deliberations Thursday on charges the former "Empire" actor orchestrated a fake attack on himself, then lied to Chicago police about being the victim of an anti-gay, racist hate crime.
The jury deliberated for about two hours on Wednesday following a roughly one-week trial. They asked Judge James Linn for a copy of a calendar prosecutors displayed at trial that indicated relevant dates, including that of the alleged attack and of what two brothers testified was a "dry run" for the Jan. 29, 2019, assault.
The lawyers' closing arguments capped just over one week of testimony in the case against Smollett. The jury deliberated for about two hours Wednesday but broke for the day without reaching a verdict. They are expected to resume deliberations Thursday as long as all 12 jurors have arrived at court by 10:15 a.m. ET. - Fox News' Julius Young and the Associated Press contributed to this report
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