The legal drama surrounding former Empire star Jussie Smollett and the non-existent hate crime he reported is far from over.
As reported by TMZ, a grand jury has called for a new indictment against Smollett, hitting the actor with six felony counts of “disorderly conduct,” each involving claims of lying to law enforcement.
The charges refer to last January when Smollett alleged to be the the victim of a hate crime in Chicago. After the police arrested two extras from the Chicago-filmed Empire in connection with the attack, the men (who were later released) claimed Smollett had planned the assault in advance and paid them to take part. Police later stated they believed the actor had staged the attack. They later arrested him, charging Smollett with 16 felony counts and up to 64 years in prison. A few weeks later, the case was suddenly dropped.
Now, Dan Webb, the appointed special prosecutor who took over the investigation last August, has refiled six of the charges “in the interest of justice.” In a statement, Webb criticized the initial handling of the case by the State Attorney Kim Foxx, claiming the choice made no sense based on the evidence. In actuality, Webb said, Smollett “planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Dept. officers.”
For his part, Smollett still maintains his innocence and is moving forward with a lawsuit against the Chicago police department. A representative for Smollett told TMZ, “The officers who re-investigated the case are the same one who originally investigated it. These officers are currently being sued by Smollett. They have also spent taxpayer money on having these officers go to Los Angeles and harass members of Smollett’s team and friends.”
Smollett will be arraigned on February 24th. If convicted, he’ll reportedly face up to three years in prison.
