Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #SMOLLETT
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SMOLLETT VERDICT WATCH—Special prosecutor has arrived at Cook County courthouse. Follow @NBCNews for latest… #JussieSmollett 
#JussieSmollett on his way into court earlier. Right now his attorney is arguing for a new trial/overturned verdict. More ahead @NBCNews. Talking latest @NBCNewsNow with @AlisonMorrisNOW.
Defense motion DENIED--brief recess and then sentencing of #JussieSmollett moves forward.
#BREAKING A verdict has been announced in Jussie #Smollett's criminal trial in Chicago. The verdict will be read shortly. @CourthouseNews
It took the jury over nine hours of deliberation to reach its verdict. The verdict has not yet been read to the courtroom.
We're still waiting in the Cook County Criminal Courthouse for the jury to read the verdict. #JussieSmollett and his family have not yet entered the courtroom.
Defense beginning its closing arguments in the Jussie #Smollett trial.
Defense attorney Nenye Uche says the "elephant" of assumptions that was present at the start of trial has disappeared, to be replaced by doubt. He claims the prosecution's whole case is a "house of cards" that will crumble when pressured.
Uche says the prosecution's whole case relies on the Osundairo brothers being honest. Uche says they are not honest at all; calls them "the worst kind of criminal." "You have to have your guard up with them," he says.
Back at Cook County Criminal Courthouse for what should be the last day of Jussie #Smollett's criminal trial for allegedly staging a hate crime. Closing arguments from the lawyers are set for today, then the jury will begin deliberation.
Presiding Judge James Linn says he's not putting any time limits on the lawyers for closing arguments, which means they'll go as long as prosecutors and Smollett's attorneys think they need.
Linn is impressing on the jury that the state has to prove Smollett's alleged guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt."
We are back at the #Smollett trial. Webb confirms he's finished his cross. Attorney Nenye Uche is on redirect.
Uche asking if Ola had shown up uninvited before, Smollett says yes, many times. "Let me clarify... uninvited by me," he says.
Smollett testifies that "tons" of his Instagram followers got his Instastory messages. Uche trying to reinforce that he was not giving Abel Osundairo private updates about his flight status on the night of the attack.
Back at the #Smollett trial. A little late this morning because the Cook County bureaucracy gods demanded a sacrfice in the form of an hour of my morning. Jussie Smollett is still on the witness stand. Prosecutor Dan Webb is still cross-examining him.
Webb is asking Smollett if there's any record that he canceled his scheduled morning work out with Abimbola Osundairo, the day after the alleged attack on Jan 29., 2019. Smollett says there isn't; that he was more preoccupied with other things.
Webb asking if Smollett recognized the voices of the people who allegedly attacked him when they shouted slurs at him, specifically if they sounded like the Osundairo brothers. Smollett says he doesn't know. "In that moment, it's not like I'm gonna go, 'Hey Bola, is that you?'"
We are back in the #Smollett trial. Next defense witness is Brett Mahoney, who worked on the "Empire" set.
Mahoney was the show's executive producer and later "showrunner," writing scripts and working with director and editors to put everything together for the studios. He worked directly with Smollett, including on episodes Jussie directed
Mahoney testifying about the threatening letter sent to the "Empire" set. "We were obviously all very upset about the letter. No one thinks that doing the job that Jussie was doing that he would be the focus of this hate mail."
It's Monday, Dec. 6 and week two of the Jussie #Smollett trial about to get underway. Presiding Cook County Judge James Linn said last week he expects the jury to begin deliberation by no later than Tuesday.
A little late getting started today, which is surprising. Last week Linn was eager to begin testimony every morning by about 9:15 a.m. Currently 9:38 and neither Linn nor the prosecution team is in the courtroom.
Well, the lawyers are starting to trickle in to the courtroom but we're still waiting for Linn.
Jussie Smollett arrives for the start of his trial. He’s facing felony disorderly conduct charges. Accused of staging his own attack in 2019. Jury selection begins today. @cbschicago #smollett #Smolletttrial
Judge James Linn told prospective jurors that he intends the jury to be selected today and that he anticipates opening statements/evidence to also begin today. Jury should expect to work until about 7pm everyday and trial should wrap this week or early next week.#jussiesmollett
Potential jurors were asked a series of questions .Jury still not seated
Have they watched Empire? Have they watched TMZ? Have they been a victim of a hate crime? Are they a member of a civil rights group or support defund the police movement or part of pro police organization.
Have they watched Empire? Have they watched TMZ? Have they been a victim of a hate crime? Are they a member of a civil rights group or support defund the police movement or part of pro police organization.
#Smollett
"a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime..."
"a Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime..."
Smollett will voluntarily surrender Feb 24 ... court date.
@justthinkit @RikPik2 @debibug @bigredwavenow @Jordan_Sather_ @StormIsUponUs @Cordicon @GenFlynn @zulutym @intheMatrixxx @prayingmedic @DefenseIntel
@justthinkit @RikPik2 @debibug @bigredwavenow @Jordan_Sather_ @StormIsUponUs @Cordicon @GenFlynn @zulutym @intheMatrixxx @prayingmedic @DefenseIntel When ⭐️⭐️⭐️ gets caught lying or provides misleading statements, a level of eroding trust occurs. #YoureFired But hey, let's just keep lying for the sake of consistency. Did ⭐️⭐️⭐️really believe, at the advice of his own corrupt counsel, that his FARA filing was going to fly?
@justthinkit @RikPik2 @debibug @bigredwavenow @Jordan_Sather_ @StormIsUponUs @Cordicon @GenFlynn @zulutym @intheMatrixxx @prayingmedic @DefenseIntel With what we have learned about 9/11, I have a serious issue with ⭐️⭐️⭐️allowing his name to be attached to this Op Ed, originally written by FIG client Ekim Alpketin on behalf of the Turkish Govt. Was the $530,000 worth it, ⭐️⭐️⭐️? 🤬#SellOut 👉thehill.com/blogs/pundits-…
Thread: (1/5) Newly released texts and emails show SA Kim Foxx was very much involved in #jussiesmollett case and not at all “recused”. Foxx and her staff paid very close attention to all media reports written about the case, sharing articles via text.
(2:5) Foxx: “Sooo....I’m recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging...16 counts on a class 4 felony becomes exhibit A. Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts [#RKelly]. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16. (Cont).
(3/5) More from Foxx on #jussiesmollett: “On a case eligible for deferred prosecution I think it’s indicative of something we should be looking at generally. Just because we can charge someone doesn’t mean we should.” (Cont)
Unless we learn anything else about #JussieSmollett, here are some final thoughts, in no particular order:
1.Some have suggested that bc of the "MAGA" nature of alleged hoax, anti-Trump people should be pro-Smollett. That's nonsense. Crim cases stand & fall on their own merits./1
1.Some have suggested that bc of the "MAGA" nature of alleged hoax, anti-Trump people should be pro-Smollett. That's nonsense. Crim cases stand & fall on their own merits./1
Other than the need to explain decisions in matters of great public importance, political considerations have no place in criminal prosecutions. You can be anti-Trump & believe that #Smollett committed crimes. /2
2. The prosecutor here, whether that's Joe Magats or Kim Foxx, needs to explain the decision. That's pretty basic, and the justifications offered thus far make little sense. /3
nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-ope…
nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-ope…
Short THREAD re: #JussieSmollett: @chicagotribune writes that "[i]n a telephone interview, Eric Sussman, Magat’s predecessor as Foxx’s top aide, said the abrupt, secretive nature of the deal ... /1
chicagotribune.com/news/local/bre…
chicagotribune.com/news/local/bre…
... 'raises questions as to whether there is embarrassing information the state’s attorney’s office doesn’t want the public to know.'” Wow. /2
I can't stress enough how unusual it is that the former #2 at a major prosecutor's office is publicly suggesting that the decision by his successor is suspect. /3
Is County State's Attorney closing up shop re: non-violent crime? Here's statement from the #prosecutor who let #Smollett go: “We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime. I don’t see [him] as a threat to public safety.” 1/4
nyti.ms/2TCGj14
nyti.ms/2TCGj14
Again, I hate criticizing #prosecutors in the exercise of their discretion, but laudable as that prioritizing is, his logic is asinine. No more fraud, perjury, cyberbullying, public corruption, car theft, hacking, identity theft prosecutions. & of course no hoax prosecutions. 2/4
All those cases should be dismissed under the logic of ASA Joe Magats. SMH. 3/4
The Toe, @KamalaHarris, ramrodded an anti-lynching bill through the Senate on the strength of the @JussieSmollett incident. That bill now pends in the US House.
Should the bill be enacted?
Well, honestly, the problem of lynching has been a real one in US history.
Should the bill be enacted?
Well, honestly, the problem of lynching has been a real one in US history.
Democrats have been lynching African Americans in the United States for over 150 years. It is their modus operandi when they believe twilight covers their deeds. The rope and the branch, these are long-standing emblems of the KKK, the military arm of the Democratic Party.
Section Five of the Fourteenth Amendment certainly grants Congress power to enforce the due process and equal provisions of the Amendment, so it would certainly be within the scope of Congress' authority to enact some kind of legislation in this area.
This #smollett story is a runaway train and a complete mess. Actual CPD detectives saying rumors circulating are not true. Safe to say at this point anything could be true and anything could be false. #disinfo #fakenews
At this point it's clear that there's a deliberate effort to try and undermine the credibility of #JussieSmollett - who was the victim of a horrible hate crime in Chicago. This is precisely why people don't report hate crimes. Since 2017 hate crimes have risen nearly 20%.
This is serious and a critical civil rights issue. Black people are 13% of the U.S. population, but nearly half of all hate crime victims are Black. Anti-LGBT hate crimes are on the rise as well. nytimes.com/2018/11/13/us/…
We’re closely watching the Chicago PD’s investigation because first, just last week the Dept was locked into a consent decree by a federal judge to address years of misconduct. The Dept’s handling of the #Smollett attack is an early test for the agency.
