Smollett asks Illinois Supreme Court to review ruling upholding his conviction for making up hate crime supposedly perpetrated against him
Actor Jussie Smollett is taking his legal battle to the highest court in Illinois, petitioning the state’s Supreme Court to review a recent appellate court decision that upheld his disorderly conduct conviction in Cook County, according to court records.
In December, the Illinois appeals court upheld Smollett’s conviction, stemming from a 2021 trial where he was found guilty of orchestrating a fake racist and homophobic attack on himself in 2019 and subsequently lying to law enforcement about the incident. His legal team contends that the conviction violates his fifth amendment rights against double jeopardy, asserting that he is being punished twice for the same offense.
The Illinois Supreme Court now holds the power to determine the fate of Smollett’s case, with options ranging from hearing the appeal, declining to review it, or remanding it back to the appellate court for further consideration.