Jussie Smollett Late to Court as Sentencing Hearing Begins
Breaking: Jussie Smollett has just been sentenced to 150 days in jail, plus 30 months of felony probation as well as being ordered to pay restitution of over $120,000 and a $25,000 fine for making false reports to police regarding his hate crime hoax.
The Jussie Smollet sentencing hearing has just begun but things aren't looking especially bright for Mssr. Smollet. First off, Jussie showed up late to his own sentencing hearing. He was a minute late before first sight of him accompanied by his 92-year-old grandmother on a cane leading him to be even later by the time he entered the courtroom despite no long lines or screening. Most people try to be early for trials, especially sentencing related proceedings as it shows a modicum of respect for the court which can be a mitigating factor in sentencing but apparently Jussie can't hide his privileged and out of touch feeling of superiority over others.
It's a testament to his inability to take responsibility for his action that the police, the Osundairo brothers and others have all been blamed for his actions but not a whit of remorse shown. Not to mention, the millions of dollars and sheer manpower expended due to his hoax not only hurt real victims of hate crimes but put undue stress on an already overworked Chicago police department. Possibly one factor in why author Ann Sterzinger's rape was not properly investigated as dozens of detectives and beat cops were busy combing the streets for evidence of a non-existent crime invented by a spoiled brat millionaire.
Despite being at the sentencing stage of the hearings, Smollett's attorneys are attempting to get the guilty verdict overturned. Samuel L. Jackson and several other celebrities and politicians have flocked about Jussie to support him even now. Both Jesse Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson is are among celebrities and activists putting support behind the hate-crime hoaxer, writing a letter urging a lenient sentence.
His elderly grandmother and one of his brothers are also expected to testify in support. Actor Alfre Woodard also wrote to Judge Linn pleading for leniency and his charitable work is also being lauded. For a sociopath who craves the spotlight anything that earns him goodwill would be appealing, so his "dedication to service" is personally in question as far as I'm concerned.
As much as he may deserve some jail time, if not just for the crime and how it hurt real victims, for how it took away from resources that should have been allocated to actual victims of violent crime, I doubt this will be the case. At the very least we can hope that he will receive what amounts to a fate worse than death for a spoiled narcissist, that after this trial he simply fades from recollection entirely except in connection with the concept of hate crime hoaxes and other stunts that set back race relations.
