Jussie Smollett Conviction Overturned by Illinois Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Smollett’s Legal Team

The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned the criminal conviction of actor Jussie Smollett, accused of faking a 2019 attack in Chicago. Attorneys for Smollett argued that a previous non-prosecution agreement with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, along with the decision of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the initial charges, meant that his conviction should be overturned, and the court agreed in its ruling.

Double Jeopardy and Non-Prosecution Agreement

Smollett’s legal team had moved to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds, but the trial court denied both motions. His legal team also argued that he had entered into a nonprosecution agreement with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, but again the trial judge denied the motion, according to the court’s ruling Thursday.

Court Finds in Favor of Smollett

The court found that Smollett’s case was indeed subject to the double jeopardy clause in the U.S. Constitution, and that his agreement with the State’s Attorney’s Office should have been honored. They cited “terrible policy consequences” of adopting prosecutors’ stance on filing the charges again, and also echoed previous rulings that violating non-prosecution agreements would not “comport neither with ordinary contract principles nor with the more expansive notions of fundamental fairness that control the relations between a state and its citizens.”

Supreme Court Justices Concur

Supreme Court Justices Neville, Overstreet, Holder White, and O’Brien concurred in the opinion, written by Justice Elizabeth Rochford. Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham abstained from ruling in the case.

Conclusion

The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Jussie Smollett’s conviction marks a significant victory for his legal team and raises questions about the handling of the case by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

FAQs

* What was Jussie Smollett accused of?
+ Smollett was accused of faking a 2019 attack in Chicago.
* Why did the Illinois Supreme Court overturn his conviction?
+ The court found that Smollett’s case was subject to the double jeopardy clause in the U.S. Constitution and that his agreement with the State’s Attorney’s Office should have been honored.
* What was the outcome of the court’s ruling?
+ The court overturned Smollett’s conviction, effectively ending the case.