Seems the court thinks the law bent over backwards to punish his lying - or at least welched on a deal. The subsequent prosecution was probably influenced due to the high profile nature of the case. I am sure the peanut gallery here would like him in jail for life. Clearly he was wrong, but what was the adequate punishment? https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/21/entertainment/jussie-smollett-conviction-overturned/index.html? SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lied to police. The state’s highest court ruled that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for forfeiting his $10,000 bond and conducting community service. The ruling and the appeal did not address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence. “We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in the 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the state was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.”
Couldn’t care much less. Guy is as phony as Oprah. Wasted Chicago residents money. Their problem. They want to free him that’s up to them.
On a technicality? I love how the legal system uses technicalities to wipe out crimes as if they never happened. That needs to change.
Prosecutor who was biased dropped charges in exchange for fine and other conditions. Public outrage. Indicted again and convicted. Court said the state had to honor the first deal.
Breach of contract. The court's opinion even contained "detrimental reliance" language...that's pure contract law. Jeopardy never really attached. He fully performed his part of the agreement, it became enforceable against the state. And no, not even remotely a "technicality". SMH.
