Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the trial of former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett — nearly three years after he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime only to later be accused of staging the attack.
The controversy significantly tarnished Smollett’s career when he was criminally charged and led to his character being written off the hit Fox televsion show “Empire.” It also brought intense scrutiny on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office when the initial disorderly conduct charges against Smollett were suddenly dropped months later.
That decision by Foxx’s office led to the appointment of former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as a special prosecutor in the case tasked with reinvestigating the allegations against Smollett, as well as possible wrongdoing by Foxx and her staff.
A year later, Smollett was indicted again on six counts of disorderly conduct — all low-level felony charges — related to making false statements to police about the alleged attack.
The stakes at trial for Smollett are fairly low: The charges against him carry a maximum sentence of three years, with a lighter sentence, even probation, the likely outcome if he is convicted, given Smollett’s lack of a serious criminal background.
The 39-year-old actor and singer is accused of lying to Chicago police when he claimed he was the victim of a racist and anti-gay attack in the below-freezing, early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019, near his Streeterville apartment.
Smollett, who is Black and...
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