Jussie Smollett Trial on Hate Crime Hoax Charges Gets Underway

The only Black juror on the panel that convicted Jussie Smollett of lying to Chicago police said he couldn't get past what the actor did not do after he claimed attackers looped a noose around his neck: Rip it off and keep it off. If others saw the noose as Smollett's clumsy effort to portray his attackers as racist, Andre Hope saw much more.

"Empire" actor Terrence Howard broke his silence on the verdict in his co-star Jussie Smollett’s high-profile case in Chicago. Last week, Smollett was found guilty on 5 out of 6 charges at his hate crime hoax trial.

Jussie Smollett (Pic: Shutterstock.com)

Another verdict on a huge celeb trial is in!

Jussie Smollett has been found guilty.On Thursday, the jury ruled that he was guilty on five of the six counts of disorderly conduct for which he was charged.He faces up to three years in prison, and will be sentenced at a later date, which has not yet been determined.Smollett was convicted on five counts related to giving a false report to police on the day of the attack.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterJussie Smollett, the former star of “Empire” who ignited a firestorm in 2019 when he claimed to be the victim of a homophobic and racist assault, was convicted on Thursday of five counts of lying to the police about the incident. He was acquitted on a sixth charge.Smollett faced six counts of “disorderly conduct,” a Class 4 felony in Illinois — a relatively minor offense.

Jussie Smollett has been found guilty on 5 out of 6 charges in the alleged hate crime hoax trial.

Jussie Smollett has been found guilty for staging a hate crime against himself. The 39-year-old faces up to three years in prison for staging an attack that included a noose being tied around his neck, as well as being housed in bleach, per the New York Post. Smollett claimed he was targeted by two racist followers of Donald Trump that were also homophobic. The verdict came after six days of testimony that included 13 witnesses.

The jury in Jussie Smollett’s trial will continue deliberations on Thursday as they attempt to reach a verdict on his charges in the alleged hate crime hoax.  The former "Empire" star’s fate is in the hands of the jury after almost two weeks of court proceedings in a case that’s seen many twists and turns since it first broke in January 2019. He faces six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to the police.

The jury in Jussie Smollett’s trial started deliberating Wednesday, after a prosecutor said there is “overwhelming evidence” that the former “Empire” actor lied to police about being the victim of an anti-gay, racist attack and his defence attorney said the charges are based on lies.

With the defense and the prosecution resting their respective cases earlier this week, closing arguments are set to begin Wednesday morning in the case against former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.  Smollett, who is Black and gay, is accused of staging a racist, homophobic hate crime against himself in downtown Chicago in January 2019.

CHICAGO -- Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday morning in the case against former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who is accused of staging a racist, anti-gay attack against himself in downtown Chicago to get publicity.The jury is then expected to begin deliberating whether Smollett is guilty on six counts of a low-level felony for lying to Chicago police about the January 2019 attack.Taking the witness stand earlier this week, Smollett repeatedly denied the attack was a fake, telling

Jussie Smollett took the stand for the second day in his disorderly conduct trial on Tuesday, again denying allegations that he staged a brutal attack on himself in 2019. Smollett is facing six felony counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about what happened that night.  «To answer all your questions about the hoax I am going to deny,» Smollett said, according to.

Outside the courtroom where former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett is fighting charges accusing him of lying to Chicago police about being the victim of an anti-gay, racist attack, his publicist has introduced a roster of supporters to the assembled TV cameras. Renowned opera singer Lauren Michelle, who also appeared on "Empire," spoke of how one of her best friends from high school has maintained his humanity despite the attacks on his character.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterJussie Smollett, the former “Empire” star, took the stand in a Chicago courtroom on Monday and denied that he staged a hate crime against himself nearly three years ago, according to local reports.Smollett, 39, walked the jury through his version of the events of Jan. 29, 2019, when he alleges he was attacked by two men who uttered homophobic and racist slurs and put a rope around his neck.

Jussie Smollett took the stand at his trial on Monday to tell jurors his side of the story about a 2019 attack that police and prosecutors say was a hoax he orchestrated, but that his defense team insists was real.Legal experts are divided on whether Smollett’s testimony in his own defense could help or hurt his case.Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct, accused of staging a fake hate crime attack against himself, and then lying to police about it.Smollett, who is Black and gay, had

[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Jussie Smollett paid them to pull off a fake attack took the stand on Wednesday. Smollett, 39, faces six counts of disorderly conduct and is accused of lying to police about the 2019 incident.Smollett, who is Black and openly gay, told Chicago police that he was attacked by two masked men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs in January 2019, authorities said.

Jussie Smollett has focused on how Chicago police say they determined that what they initially believed was a horrific hate crime was actually a fake assault staged by the ex-"Empire" actor with help from two brothers.Testimony will continue Wednesday in the trial, which is expected to last about a week.A lead investigator in the case, Michael Theis, said Tuesday that the brothers — who worked with Smollett on the Chicago set of “Empire” — detailed for police how the actor orchestrated the hoax.