Chicago police are getting faster in rejecting this nonsense.
Chicago police are getting faster in rejecting this nonsense.
16 counts?? Almost deliberately way too many. It's how unhinged prosecutors multiply up charges for show.
5:30 PM PT -- Jussie's attorney, Mark Geragos, just released a scathing response to the indictment, telling us, "The fact of an indictment was not unexpected. We knew that there is no way they would expose their evidence to a public airing and subject their witnesses to cross-examination. What is unexpected, however, is the prosecutorial overkill in charging 16 separate counts against Jussie."
Geragos continues, "This redundant and vindictive indictment is nothing more than a desperate attempt to make headlines in order to distract from the internal investigation launched to investigate the outrageous leaking of false information by the Chicago Police Department and the shameless and illegal invasion of Jussie's privacy in tampering with his medical records. Jussie adamantly maintains his innocence even if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption."
2:45 PM PT -- We've now read the indictment, and it appears the grand jury hit Jussie with one count for EACH allegedly false statement he made during the 2 interviews with cops.
It's pretty clear. Jussie is actually a WRITER too, and this was his way to overcome the bigotry that gay blacks face in getting their scripts to be heard.
Jussie Smollett's career is just like an awesome script ... complete with a major plot twist, then a climax and now the aftermath.
We're told Smollett's star actually skyrocketed right after the alleged attack was initially reported. Our sources say he was getting hit up nonstop for movies, TV gigs, commercials and, of course, interviews and appearances.
But then ... the well ran dry. We're told Smollett's getting zero calls for new work, and is being treated like a pariah.
https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/09/jussie-smollett-zero-job-offers-hoax-empire/
“I defy anybody to find any indictment anywhere where somebody has brought 16 counts for being a victim of a hate crime,” Gergagos said. “So I don’t understand where any of this comes from. He supposedly was dissatisfied. There’s no evidence of that.”
“What is happening here is frankly a media gangbang of this guy of unprecedented proportions, and that’s the reason I got into this. I’ve never seen a media pendulum swing more quickly and more viciously and rob somebody of their presumption of innocence like this case. It’s startling the way people assume that he’s guilty.”
Smollett’s attorney contended there is no police report and that his client “hasn’t been given one stitch of discovery.”
“I haven’t interviewed them, but I will ask you this,” said Gergagos. “Why is it if they did this … why weren’t they indicted?”
“I haven’t seen one piece of evidence and they don’t have one piece of evidence that they’ve turned over that links Jussie to this. What they do have is a whale of a case … a great case against the two brothers.”
“Jackhammer” - eh eh eh eh eh!
Will laugh my @ss off when Juss flips on DNC, Kamala and Team Hillary. Have not even got into Fed charges yet, perhaps that’s the reason.
“I defy anybody to find any indictment anywhere where somebody has brought 16 counts for being a victim of a hate crime,” Gergagos said.
The Portland guy got 21 charges for defending himself against Antifa. He "brandishing a weapon" and something else I forget, there were 10 ppl there, so they claimed 2x10, and one more for something else.
Ola and Abel Osundairo's attorney, Gloria Schmidt, spoke out on their behalf Monday on 'GMA,' confirming what TMZ first reported ... that the check was compensation for a training and nutrition program designed to get Jussie in shape for a music video shoot.
During police Superintendent Eddie Johnson's news conference he said: "Smollet paid $3,500 to stage this attack and drag Chicago's reputation through the mud in the process."
https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/11/jussie-smollett-check-training-osundairo-brothers-chicago-police/
Jussie Smollett's case could cost him way more than just his gig on "Empire" ... many on the show fear his situation could bring the whole show down in the process.
Anxiety is high among the "Empire" cast and crew, because Fox has yet to renew the show for a sixth season. We're told people who've been working on the show for years are griping they should've heard the news one way or another by now, and expected to get word on the fate of the show around 2 weeks ago.
For the record ... Fox has typically renewed the show in January ... 5 months ahead of the season finale. The exception ... this past season. Fox waited until Season 4 finished airing in May.
We're told folks involved in the production feel like Jussie and his case will be a big factor in how things shake out.
As for how Jussie's character is being handled on the show now ... Lee Daniels and co. have already announced Jamal is being removed from the final two episodes of season 5, which is set to return from a hiatus on Wednesday night.
Our sources say Jussie's character will be "out of the country."
Here's the kicker ... our production sources tell us even if Fox does renew the show, higher-ups have expressed serious reservations about Jussie returning ... as have many folks on the cast and crew ... even some who have publicly supported him.
https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/11/jussie-smollett-case-empire-renew-cancel-fox/Jussie Smollett strutted confidently into a Cook County Courthouse for a hearing he did NOT have to attend.
Jussie, who's been laying low since he was arrested for filing a false police report, was rocking shades, gloves and a trench coat as he arrived Tuesday. The hearing is really for his attorney, Mark Geragos, to file the paperwork so he can rep Jussie in Illinois -- and also to determine if cameras will be allowed in court for the case.
He wasn't required to be there, but our sources say Smollett chose to attend because he intends to be an active participant in his defense ... and not just an observer. We're also told he's done hiding.
https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/12/jussie-smollett-court-appearance-chicago-mark-geragos/
Actively not hiding wrote:
Jussie Smollett strutted confidently into a Cook County Courthouse for a hearing he did NOT have to attend.
Jussie, who's been laying low since he was arrested for filing a false police report, was rocking shades, gloves and a trench coat as he arrived Tuesday. The hearing is really for his attorney, Mark Geragos, to file the paperwork so he can rep Jussie in Illinois -- and also to determine if cameras will be allowed in court for the case.
He wasn't required to be there, but our sources say Smollett chose to attend because he intends to be an active participant in his defense ... and not just an observer. We're also told he's done hiding.
https://www.tmz.com/2019/03/12/jussie-smollett-court-appearance-chicago-mark-geragos/
The guy is so mentally deranged (many 'celebrities' are) that he believes he can act his way out of this. His striking performance with Robin Roberts tells all.
Tears and prayers for my Jussie. The posters here are a lynch mob.
10:13 AM PT — A judge has ruled that cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for future hearings involving Jussie Smollett.
Ito'd wrote:
10:13 AM PT — A judge has ruled that cameras will be allowed in the courtroom for future hearings involving Jussie Smollett.
Great news for #Jussie. He'll be at home with the cameras, just like on the set.
As it's work-related now, can this be made tax-deductible somehow?
Just ain't the same show w/o #Jussie.
https://www.thewrap.com/empire-return-ratings-tank-jussie-smollett-arrested/"Empire" returned this week for the first time since former star Jussie Smollett was slapped with a 16-count indictment for allegedly staging a hoax hate crime — and, unsurprisingly, not a lot of people tuned in. In fact, compared to the midseason premiere last year, the show lost about a third of its audience and ended up scoring its second lowest ratings ever.