In a recent decision, an appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions of actor Jussie Smollett.
The “Empire” star faced accusations of orchestrating a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019, a claim he vehemently denies.
Despite challenging various aspects of the case, Jussie’s appeals were rejected in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court.
Jussie reported to the police that he was the victim of a hate crime, alleging an attack by two masked individuals.
However, the investigation took a turn, leading to Jussie Smollett’s arrest on charges of staging the incident.
Prosecutors claimed he paid two colleagues from “Empire” to carry out the fake attack, providing specific instructions.
In 2021, Jussie was convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct, leading to a 150-day jail sentence.
Despite spending only six days behind bars during the appeal process, he now faces the completion of his sentence.
Related: Jussie Smollett Released From Cook County Jail On $150K Bond
Lawyers for Jussie have publicly argued that he was unfairly targeted by a justice system influenced by politics.
Jussie Smollett’s spokesperson, Holly Baird, announced plans to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court, emphasizing the lack of unanimity in the appellate court’s opinion.
Jussie has 35 days to file an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court, which typically takes two months to process and receive an answer.
If the appeal is denied by the Supreme Court Jussie Smollett will most likely be back in jail by late February or March.
I previously reported the actor entered a rehab program in October to get his life back on track.
Related: Jussie Smollett Reportedly Enters Rehab After An ‘Extremely Difficult Past Few Years’
See a few Twitter reactions to the latest update in case below.
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