Jussie Smollett 'Empire' Star Sentencing - Daniel Webb - Special Prosecutor

Happening in Court:
Rich Daniels - Musical Director, The City Lights Orchestra
Sharon Gelman - Fmr. Director, Artists For A New South Africa
Joel Smollett - Defendant’s Brother
Molly Smollett - Grandmother
Arguments & Mitigation
Letter From Latonya And Samuel L. Jackson
Letter From Rainbow Push Coalition
Letter From Illnois Innoncence Project
Letter For Alfre Woodard
Letter From Derek Johnson, President NAACP
Daniel Webb - Special Prosecutor
Nenye Uche - Defense Attorney
HAPPENING IN COURT: Before sentencing, the defense and prosecution have the right to present people to plead to the judge for a lighter or stronger sentence.
Actor Jussie Smollett, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced for faking a hate crime attack. Court is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET in Chicago, Illinois.
Jurors convicted him in December of five out of six counts of disorderly conduct. He faces three years in prison for each of the five counts.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, recruited brothers Abel Osundairo and Ola Osundairo of staging the fake racist, homophobic hate crime where he was the apparent victim, prosecutors said. He claimed his attackers yelled, “This is MAGA country,” and put a makeshift noose on him and poured bleach on him. Authorities said that he made it all up as a publicity stunt because he was unhappy with his pay on the show “Empire.”
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb articulated Smollett’s orders to the brothers like this for jurors, saying, “I want you to attack me, but when you hit me, I want you to kind of pull your punches a bit because I don’t want to get seriously hurt.”
Surveillance footage showed Smollett’s car circling the intersection of the faked attack to show the brothers where he wanted it to happen, Webb said.
Smollett denied in testimony that he made it all up.
Defense lawyer Nenya Uche argued that no physical or forensic evidence linked the actor to the alleged hoax. He asserted the brothers made up the hoax story for their own benefit. It was out of character for Smollett to stage the assault, putting himself in that position, Uche said.
“Jussie was not a person who liked attention,” he said. “Even his publicist was frustrated at him for that. It’s fantasy.”
Aaron Keller and Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.
[Image via Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images]
#JussieSmollet #Empire #Sentencing

[@JL-zo7vz]

This spin-off of Empire is amazing! Jussie deserves an Emmy!

[@LadyLibra-kp8ox]

This man has sooooooooooooooo much love and support and yet NO ONE was able to convince him to stop this mess, come clean and let it all end? No one? Shame on them all.

[@jesseniapadilla1740]

BRAVO!... TO THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR VERY THOROUGHLY DETAILED...BRILLIANT!

[@RandomGuy33369]

Did you see him start sweating when he heard the jail time.. The boy who cried wolf but the wolves are in cook county jail.

[@tinawindham6958]

He’s getting ready for his prom dates…teheeheeteheehee🤣

[@Lisa-co9ng]

How can his lawyer stand there saying oh he's made mistakes blah blah blah while he's yelling and screaming that he's innocent?? Even now going into the jail he still won't admit what he did was wrong

[@MissMaisieBelle]

A defense attorney…Your honor please have mercy on my client. I know he heinously murdered his parents but remember you must have mercy. After all he’s an orphan. 🙄

[@sharonjuniorchess]

Juicy missed his opportunity to apologise to the court for lying to the police.

[@RaveXmusic]

Yup. He should've just came clean and begged forgiveness.

[@drc512]

Smell it and his lawyers are living in another world!!

[@susanschroeder8021]

Narcissistic Not a victim Disgusting human Should have received harsher sentence but glad he received some jail time. I pray for true victims of hate crimes. Jussy made a fool of himself and continues doing so.

[@kimpeater1]

What a masterful presentation - I want to be Dan when I grow up!

[@paullemon5154]

150 days in jail...a slap on the wrist in my opinion! 5 years in jail is more just!

[@thechloechronicles9688]

He just keeps lying

[@lindarobinson2125]

Sorry, he made the mistake!! He PLANNED his own game and LOST!

[@ashbyalec14]

Next, Kim Fox needs to be investigated. Then beetlejuice. Then the chief of police

[@sanfranciscobay]

20:25 The State should have charged him an additional $500,000 for the cost of the Jury Trial.

[@raymondhagerty1769]

No MyPillow blanket or pillow for you tonight Jussie. Don,t slip on the soap. Your empire is now 6 x 8 feet.

[@freebird7284]

Judge of the year!

[@joliz1234]

You made your own bed Jussie, now lie in it

[@ninacal06]

Night night Jussie

[@tinawindham6958]

He’s getting a face tattoo “I’m NOY SUICIDAL “

[@john-ht6cc]

Smollett you should have gone to jail for a year

[@countrymorgan2942]

He failed at each step and upon every level from beginning to end. Even on his final day he shows up to his own sentencing late and refused to apologize or show any guilt or remorse. IMO he deserved more than the maximum punishment allowed by law. He should have received the same punishment as what would have been given to someone charged with his hoax.

[@NPC-et9ik]

"He does charity - therefore he should not go to jail."

[@joshcahanin1250]

Keep your head up Jussy! In jail, for a guy like you, that shouldn't be too hard.

[@kathysimpson2786]

He still does not apologize.

[@tinawindham6958]

You ain’t pickin up what he’s puttin down…”I’m innocent!”

[@nosyneighbor4408]

He and his family just reeks bad character all over. Convicted of a crime yet its still other people's fault. What a horrible family.

[@tammiemilburn3568]

24 is old enough to know better if he's old enough to get a job and everything he's old enough to know better

[@JayDascenzo]

He was 37 or 38 when he staged the hoax.

[@playlist55]

Congratulations and thank you Dan Webb. I know it was an easy case froman evidence case. Smollett's arrogance was also a big factor. But it took a dedicated, honest Prosecutor to bring this to fruition. Maybe you can coach Kimm Foxx on how to Prosecute. Nahhh, just kidding, she does what she does for the money...I mean reasons she does them.

[@ReglazeRX]

Michelle Obama called her up.

[@shivaxxx2147]

InVolunteer manslaughter.. 6 months probation… lying about a crime 3 months in jail 😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@BeeVon93]

@@shivaxxx2147honestly no one, even the CPD superintendent, expected him to go to prison tho. But the fact that he kept DENYING and doubling down on everything and dragging everything to this point, I think he deserves every single day in jail from his sentence, just based on all the resources wasted on him and this case.

[@LadyLibra-kp8ox]

They want to regard all the changes and inconveniences in his life as punishment enough. That's just the personal impact of consequences for HIS choices. I'm glad the just kept his legal consequences separate.

[@toddredinger9493]

hope he goes to general pop, he can scream all-day

[@rachb373]

Tell me you're not well-travelled without telling me you're not well travelled: Anyone who believes they're an oppressed victim in America

[@aug-pahunters51]

What isn't the judge adding time for contempt?

[@lindarobinson2125]

Jucy's lawyer standing there talking SMACK!! SEND HIM TO PRISON AT LEAST 3 YEARS, NO LONGER

[@KimChi4Life]

Juicy smoullier is a famous French actor

[@nevr4get-482]

And also a convicted felon 🤣

[@florijancindric]

Hahahahah

[@springstud]

he got what he desvers he sit the whole thing up. listen to what the judge says

[@gratefulgal5782]

You should have the parenthesis around Star in the title.

[@RaveXmusic]

Juicy Smollett is an absolute disgrace 🥴

[@Account_CB]

Maybe he wanted to go to jail...he can get all the 'sausage' sandwiches he wants now...no need to go out searching for a subway...😊

[@sharonhoyt2133]

Good thing Jussie was an actor instead of a writer because he sucks as a writer. He gave away the entire story about what he will do in jail when he started yelling that he is not suicidal.

[@telsclark]

Clemency is what he's asking for yet seems to inarticulate to use the right wording. I would not want this man as my last hope.

[@harmlessgrandpa]

"Too" inarticulate.

[@telsclark]

@@harmlessgrandpa thank you

[@blurrylights6344]

Clemency is a power reserved to the executive branch of government. The President of the United States has the authority to pardon a person convicted of a federal crime and governors have the power to pardon state convictions. Judges do not have the power to grant clemency. He is begging for mercy. Mercy is the word you are looking for.

[@user-ir8mf7km6w]

He should of gotten 2 years. He is a charlatan.

[@nottellingyou14]

But that’s not the usual standard. Usual standard is probation, and I understand a 5 month departure, 30 days for each charge. However 2 years would have been overkill given his lack of serious criminal record.

[@marilynspaziano9000]

This guy is a clown

[@Tim_Rock]

Deserves the Maximum sentence aloud by law but will get a couple slaps on the wrist because he is a wannabe celebrity

[@shellos8]

He was already sentenced! Pay attention.

[@Tim_Rock]

@@shellos8 just watched the sentence.. Slap on the wrist as I stated before. 150 days in jail is nothing! Judge even stated he committed perjury and was found guilty. Should have been years in the penitentiary eating puddin and listening / obeying what puddin tells her what to do!!

[@ebonylocks9234]

@@Tim_Rock should a police officer only get 3 years for murder?

[@nottellingyou14]

@@Tim_Rock Ridiculous. Who wants to live in such an authoritarian country? The standard was probation but the judge departed and he gave clear reasons, the good and the bad, and he got 30 days for each count. Wishing him to be assaulted is just gross and wrong. Prison is the punishment and he got it, which I think is right, but I don’t want him brutalized.

[@cxri9454]

@@Tim_Rock lol puddin 🤣🤣🤣 laugh of the morning good sir

[@d.kuhnhenn1753]

He should have been sentenced the same as the two other men would have been sentenced to. After all he was perfectly willing to let them do time.

[@BrianSapp945]

Well, Jussie’s grandmother said that JUSSIE IS GIVING OF HIMSELF! Okay, We WILL SEE IF THAT IS TRUE WHEN HE GOES TO PRISON (HOLD ON TO THAT SOAP, JUSSIE).

[@mindyrolston3915]

He isn't above the law

[@b3makinn]

The OJ defense does not work anymore.

[@cristysanders4660]

He's going to be like r Kelly and try everything to get out of jail.

[@muchacho2141]

Justice for juicy

[@paullemon5154]

Jussie should have received special treatment because he is a celebrity? Give me a break! NO MERCY FOR JUSSIE!!!

[@pytube777]

Jussie probably wants to play himself in a made for TV movie.

[@GRMLS5]

I have a question...just how much is the lady with the big hair getting paid to play with her phone?

[@AndrewMay-t6l]

It would be nice if Dan Webb looked at all Kim Foxes cases

[@BassGods]

If this whole incident was true, it would have made for a great episode on "Empire". And Smollett would still have gotten paid. Instead he lost it all.

[@josevazquez7197]

GREAT 👍🏼 ACTING Jessie. 👺

[@moachia]

Dan Webb don’t play he will get ha🤣🤣🤣

[@lewischaisson5490]

The man was not a star and he knew it.

[@roberthislop1389]

look at Tamara's body language. she's roiling.

[@lewischaisson5490]

It don't take much to be a star diesel days.

[@user-Tea278]

I wonder: jussie do know we do not believe him. Like most of America???

[@daddycj1978]

😄 🤣 😂 😆 😄 🤣 haha

[@marshallperez9103]

I'm representing Abbeville Louisiana and Vermilion Parish,due to we didn't get any FEMA like the rest of Louisiana did?

[@tinawindham6958]

Say what?

[@marshallperez9103]

@@tinawindham6958 you heard me..

[@marshallperez9103]

Gas ⛽ ain't higher enough for Louisiana

[@belmaomanovic8590]

His attorney on her phone ? 😩😩😩

[@Angelberri35]

I am still not convinced! There is more to the story but hoping the appeal will bring more details to light!

[@Mytube777]

Oh no……..a break? Arggggghjhhhhh

[@carlosivandegodoy]

26:09 in the what???

[@nottellingyou14]

What did he do? Quote the judge or was there something else? I didn’t catch what he said right before he quoted.

[@Whiskey_Tango_Foxtrot_]

change your name it’s weird i can’t stand the sound of it!

[@moniquemonicat]

😃

[@marypham8285]

Where is the obamas’s help ?

[@lindarobinson2125]

No prison time!!

[@mister8765]

Too bad - he did

[@caryrohan7816]

Now Dan Webb should start doing the job the people paid him for! He went extra hard on a hoaxer, while crime rages in his city...

[@NurseKathyAndTheLaw]

@Out Side I don’t believe Cary does or he wouldn’t have made such a statement ! are should read something more often or pay better attention !

[@putnamcountycrimeanalysiswandr]

Perhaps if you had listened to the judge's statement you'd know Dan Webb did not accept payment for this case, nor for the three investigations he was asked to conduct.

[@barbaraann5634]

The special prosecutor was awful. Everything he said was disjointed.

[@dennisilic81]

He worked for free so you get what you pay for

[@CN45475]

Awe, was it too difficult for you to understand?

[@mister8765]

Couldn’t you keep up?

[@kerrycavanaugh4268]

Troll

[@nosyneighbor4408]

Shut up jussie

[@shivaxxx2147]

InVolunteer manslaughter.. 6 months probation… lying about a crime 3 months in jail 😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣