Chicago top prosecutor defends department on Jussie Smollett
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Chicago — A day after the Chicago police said they were blindsided by state prosecutors' decision to drop charges against actor Jussie Smollett , the department dropped a headline of its own -- releasing police reports outlining what they considered an ironclad case.
The 61 pages of detectives' reports shows investigators believed Smollett staged the attack at least three days before they publicly named him as a suspect. They also reveal that least one FBI agent was involved in the case from early on -- and police got a search warrant for Smollett's iCloud account.
Still angered by the prosecutor's decision, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel on Wednesday questioned whether Smollett received preferential treatment.
"There is a sense here that you have one rule applying to an individual because he is an actor, somebody with certain amount of status that is being treated differently," Emmanuel said.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, who recused herself after communicating with a Smollett relative, defended her office's decision.
"If your own prosecutor told us that he believes Mr. Smollett is guilty, why not get that guilty plea from him as part of this deal?" CBS News' Adriana Diaz asked.
"Because according to the statue you don't have to. If he does and pays the restitution, if he does the community service, how he spins what he's done -- is that outcome consistent with others who are similarly situated," Foxx said.
She also responded to questions of a riff between the state attorney's office and Chicago police.
"I think the state's attorney's office and Chicago police and the mayor have a shared view. Their frustration on how this case was handled -- I hear it and I respect it and I say to them what I said to others. This case was treated no differently," Foxx said.
Another controversy is that the case files have been sealed. Foxx said that wasn't part of the agreement to drop charges. Lawyers for the media, including CBS News, have filed motions to keep the documents from being destroyed and to make them public.
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Two kinds of justice. One for the famous and one for the average guy.
Seriously, it isn't that many wanted to see him go to jail...but rather see him own up to what he's done. This 'deal' allows him to play victim all over again...and we know he isn't a victim.
'Deals' are normally discussed with the officers involved. This wasn't.
This whole thing reeks and it's great to hear that the FBI will be investigating.
Thank you for keeping this discussion going. It is important because at the center of this controversy is what divides us. There is no doubt that Kim Foxx never should be in a position to wield the power she has. Clearly, she is abusing her power. Speaking of power, we are getting a glimpse of where the real power resides in this nation. It has happened to us quietly over a decade or so. There is a thread that runs through all this. When we think of all those times when our legal system did not work, it becomes crystal clear: The Simpson verdict, the corruption of Title IX, the IRS scandal, the way the Clinton e-mail investigation was conducted, consent decrees for local police departments, Marilyn Mosby & malicious prosecution and of course, the misuse of FISA warrants.
Kim Foxx is clearly part of the Chicago machine. Not the old machine of Mayor Daley. Nope, this machine is defined by race and progressive dogma.
If we let this story fade away, we are accepting it.
Thanks for the article and thanks to CBS
This whole thing has bothered me since the jaw dropping news hit. To listen to his attorneys and him...he is a victim of a hate crime AND the public's frenzy.
Had they dropped the charges and Smollett quietly walked away...never to claim that he's a victim, well, that's a deal made. Instead...there's a rush to seal the case. Attorneys claiming he's been cleared and his 'record' expunged...that he's been exonerated. No conversation with any of the officers/detectives working the case. A swift 16 hours of 'community service' and poof - he's a victim again instead of facing 16 felony counts. (Which was excessive, but normally done. They use them as bargaining chips for court and plea deals.)
The police were as 'gobsmacked' as the rest of us. (I've always wanted to use that word!) They were smart in releasing the redacted docs.
Again, it isn't as though the public is crying for him to be jailed. We totally understand plea bargains...and the fact that sometimes charges are 'dropped'...but this? It isn't justice to allow someone charged with filing a false report to go back out into public making the same FALSE CLAIMS.
Our justice system isn't supposed to be crooked...because the opposite can happen. Innocent people can be railroaded within a corrupt system.
Sorry for the rant - just amazed at what goes on anymore.
Otherwise that solid case against Smollett, they worked so hard on, would be part of what was sealed, never to see the light of day.
As much as a travesty of justice this is, there are some happy with it. I heard one pundit just the other day claim that Smollett has been "vindicated"!!!
I couldn't agree more. Privilege belongs to everyone else!
Smollett got a pass plain and simple.
Foxx made the case go away. Smollett feels he won and he did win. He smeared millions of Americans as "racists". That's what he wanted to do and the people who arranged all this had the same sentiments.
I heard the Obamas were involved.
What did you hear, Tess?
Yeah, right.
It ain't so?
There's really no need to mention anyone outside of all of this...unless they are the reason Smollett went from committing a hoax hate crime to victim again.
Damn right Smollett got preferential treatment and the prosecutor's office caved on it. Prosecutors involved in this case from the DA on down should be summarily fired!
Found on Cook County State's Attorney website :
Meaning connections to those who wield their influence. That does happen, but usually comes with a guilty plea, and an apology for their actions. Smollett has taken no responsibility for his.
I never even heard of this gutless twerp. But, he sure seems to think he is a super star.
I had that same thought...'similar circumstances' as the final qualification. I doubt seriously that anyone had charges dropped and records sealed after 16 hours of community service and forfeiture of their bond.
He should have faced 160 hours of community service and been required to spend most of those hours with victims of REAL hate crimes and abuse.
I never heard of him before either. I would imagine that he will find it difficult to keep acting jobs...he will be a liability to any show that will have him.
16 felonies dismissed for a few hours of community service.
It’s not what you did, it’s who you know in Chicago.
Anybody who wants to see America’s future if the democrats take long term control look no farther than Chicago, and the type of “justice” that governs. It’s like a banana republic,
Is it who you know...or who you are?
Weird….someone that's innocent would just hand over 10 grand without asking for it to be returned !
It was a stipulation...or he would have found himself in court facing those charges. However, the stipulation fell kinda flat if he and his attorneys can play 'victim' all over again. It is rather remarkable that they think we'll believe them this time.
SEE ...... He was "Innocent" !
the fbi and doj are currently looking into this...
don't be surprised when a federal indictment comes down all on all those involved.
cheers
What is interesting at the moment is now Smollet is claiming the brothers 'could have been wearing white makeup' .. thus backing up his original claim of a light skinned or white man .. (remember he only saw one 'assailant') Also, Foxx did not formally recuse herself …?
I did not buy Smollet's story from day one .. he is not as good an actor/drama queen as he thinks he is, and the first pic released looked like he was holding his breath with a mouth full of air to make his face look swollen - his interview on Good Morning America was a situation of 'he doth protest too much' .. The cops nailed Smollet to the wall .. it was not just the false reporting of a crime … it was a false report of a HATE crime, this 'man' [term used lightly] accused two unknown 'white men' of attacking him, as well as making it sound like they were Trump supporters, just stirring the pot that much more.. In the current climate of racial tension in the US .. something like false reports of HATE crimes serves only to fire things up.. doing serious harm to the true victims of a hate crime...
Having been an avid weight lifter and health nut … I asked a friend that does personal training, she agreed that no one would eat a sandwich at 2 am if they were thinking of their body as a temple - I still do not eat anything passed 7 pm (some even say that is late)…
I will quit preaching .. but this case angers me with its so called justice served up .. Jussie could not survive being locked up, and I do not think he should have been, but a few months on house arrest for his actions may have gotten his attention that what he did was wrong on so many levels.
Peace...
It is rather maddening that he decided to stage a hate crime against himself. There were 'holes' in his story and he was caught.
Does he really deserve jail time? I don't believe so...the humiliation alone for an actor with a huge ego, along with a fine (10k wasn't enough) and community service (16 hours wasn't enough) should be enough. That isn't what he got though...he and his attorneys can romp about the nation claiming he was a Hate Crime VICTIM all over again. THAT IS WRONG in so many ways.
The one attorney claiming that the two brothers could have used 'white face' when they attacked Jussie made my eyes bulge out! Seriously? THAT's what they're going to use to justify Jussie claiming it was two white guys? pfffffft
That claim set me off all over again .. Smollet's attorney is making sure to keep this alive so that Smollet can bask in the what he and she see as the glory .. even vindication (?) for what lieing and getting away with it?
I know that others have lied about hate crimes .. graffiti, pamphlet etc .. even Rachel Dolezal's life was exposed after she reported false hate crimes … the Smollet case is much differ, in my eyes' than those false reports. Smollet took things to a whole new level with a rope around his neck .. and making the claim that 'this is MAGA country' was yelled at him before he was attacked and beaten.
There is no way to change what has happened at this point, now the files are sealed .. but the legal system in Chicago was made a mockery of .. and Foxx is defending that mockery .. she only found 2 other cases where similar 'deals' were made... what a joke!
It isn't quite over yet Colour, the FBI is looking at any Federal crimes. He probably should have admitted guilt, taken a plea deal of no jail time and moved on. Now he is looking at serious federal offenses.
I did read a lil about that .. but I also read that the FBI case regarding the letter Smollet 'supposedly' sent to himself is falling apart … apparently there is no proof he sent it to himself … shall have to wait and see how this unfolds .. as far as Chicago law enforcement the case is a done deal, even sealed...