It’s been days now and I still haven’t really worked out my feelings on the whole Jussie Smollett debacle. I partially feel proud for not buying into the Chicago PD’s grossly unprofessional smear campaign and for keeping an open mind about the whole situation. I still feel like victims need to be believed, and that victims should be given the benefit of the doubt. But I also think that Jussie and his attorneys need to work out a better PR/legal strategy than what they’re doing now. Jussie’s lawyer Tina Glandian went on the Today Show yesterday and suggested that it was possible that the Osundairo brothers were Jussie’s attackers and he thought they were white because… they could have been wearing whiteface? She really did that. Meanwhile, Chicago officials are still salty AF about this whole mess – a mess which they partially orchestrated, let’s be fair. So the Chicago’s Department of Law has sent Jussie a BILL. Oh no, a bill!
The City of Chicago has sent Jussie Smollett’s legal team a letter demanding $130,000 to defray the cost of cops’ probe into the “Empire” actor’s allegedly bogus hate-crime attack, officials said Thursday.
“The city feels that is a reasonable and legally justifiable amount to collect to help offset the cost of the investigation,” said Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Law. “The next step is for Mr. Smollett to immediately make arrangements to reimburse the city and taxpayers for the cost.”
“The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department take seriously those who make false statements to the police, thereby diverting resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system,” reads the letter, which was obtained by The Post. “Over two dozen detectives and police officers participated in the investigation, ultimately spending weeks investigating your false claims, including a substantial number of overtime hours,” the stern missive continued. “Ultimately, the Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your attack.”
The city is giving Smollett one week to cough up a “money order or certified cashier’s check” for $130,106.15 — or just over double the $65,000 he reportedly makes per episode of “Empire.” That figure represents the total amount of overtime the Windy City’s police department had to pay out during the investigation.
“If the amount is not timely paid, the Department of Law may prosecute you for making a false statement to the city,” the letter added.
It seems to me like the legal argument against paying this dumb bill is pretty clear: Jussie wasn’t found guilty of making a false police report. He never admitted to filing a false police report. The charges were dropped by Chicago prosecutors. Take this up with them. You don’t have to pay a fine for a crime (filing a false police report) you were never convicted of.
Also, that orange narcissist decided to chime in yesterday. Imagine thinking that the Jussie situation is an “embarrassment to our nation” all while hiding a 300-page report about your collusion with a foreign adversary.
FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
They really just want to stick it to him and make an example because of the anti-Trump nature of the alleged crime. It says more about the Chicago police department that they are going hard on this crime instead of tackling the rampant gun violence in their city.
They really want to stick it to him because he is a liar and used resources in an attempt to gain additional fame and wealth.
After reading all the statements, I’m fairly certain the reason he got off with such light consequences was because of how the case was mishandled by the police. They tainted the jury pool with their leaks and press conferences declaring him guilty. If the prosecution went forward, they would’ve been opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit. The police department basically made it impossible to hold a fair trial because they were so horny for the spotlight. The police involved in the Smolett case (including the big-mouthed commissioner) need to be sanctioned.
I have no doubt that the “anti-Trump nature” of the incident is relevant, but I think the reason why they’re going in so hard on him now is because they’re trying to shift focus away from their massive screwup.
Also, this is so illegal. They can’t do this, and it’s terrifying that they did. Have they billed other people for crimes they were never convicted of? People with fewer resources and no fancy lawyer to tell them they don’t have to pay? An auditor needs to get in there ASAP.
Whenever someone says ACAB, my gut reaction is to point out that there are a lot of good people out there who work in law enforcement. And then I remember stories like this, the injustices of the penal system, the atrocities committed in prisons, and the many deaths at the hands of police officers. I don’t think I could ever work in law enforcement because to me it feels like being complicit. Ugh.
Everybody needs to stop and learn their lesson with some friggin maturity and dignity.
Chicago PD needs to do an internal investigation and make sure there are never such a high number of “leaks” for the next high profile investigation. And in general, work on being a less corrupt police force – and get a handle on the violence in Chicago.
Jussie and his team need to go away and put this in the rear view mirror before it starts to hurt his career – and the next time he decides to stage a hate crime he needs to hire a professional screenwriter to work out the details. I just cannot with this foolishness.
And everybody just needs to ignore Trump.
I’d guess that all the leaks and false statements from the Chicago PD is a big part of the reason why prosecution isn’t going forward. They totally tainted the case.
That’s what I said @Another Anne. They should be mad at those that leaked. The jury pool was tainted. Conviction would have been damn near impossible to get. And if they did get one, he’d probably appeal it on the point that no venue change was offered.
The leaking was unprofessional but the assertion that it’s the reason the case was thrown out is unfounded. The jury pool was tainted?—no, just no. MUCH more famous cases have been to trial. Even Foxx and the State Attorneys office isn’t going that route, blaming the handling by the CPD, and since THEY are the ones truly in the hot seat I’m sure they’d love to divert the blame if possible.
That being said, this demanding of payment by the city is legally ludicrous. They’re just pissed (rightfully IMO) but bottom line is Jussie got off. It’s over. The problem here is Foxx and the SA office. Read all the statements put out by various Prosecutors Professional Associations. They don’t have a nickel in Chicago and condemn the handling of the case by that office.
@LadyT agree totally. Police leaks in a crazy high profile case don’t justify dropping charges. That’s not a thing legally.
Foxx and her office chose not to be straight about their decision and deserve the hot seat and scrutiny.
@Tourmaline Actually, the issue wasn’t with the leaks; it was with the public statements made by CPD representatives. Police representatives (like the superintendent) were making statements to reporters and giving press conferences declaring him guilty. The CPD superintendent went on Good Morning America and talked about the evidence they had against Smolett. They were trying their case in the court of public opinion, and they clearly won. That opens up a whole lotta doors to a whole lotta lawsuits. It would’ve been unethical for the prosecution to move forward.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/02/25/jussie-smollett-case-theres-lot-more-evidence-police-chief-says/2977696002/
https://www.apnews.com/fac8abf87fa4431aaf0e0abce6f67c22
https://theintercept.com/2019/04/01/jussie-smollett-kim-foxx-chicago/
This is a really interesting article on Kim Foxx (Chicago DA). According to The Intercept, she’s a controversial figure in the law enforcement community. It explains her philosophy as a prosecutor and the platform she was elected on.
I saw the other day that Blind Gossip was trying to start the rumor that Obama pressured the Chicago AG to drop the charges. As if Obama would get involved in something like this.
Petty. They keep making themselves look ridiculous.
How can this be legally enforced? Like he hasn’t been found guilty of filing a false police report because all the charges were dropped… so why should he pay for anything?
Also – that b*tch Rahm Emmanuel needs to STFU – CPD paid $48million in police misconduct cases in 2018 ALONE. I guess it’s different when it’s police officers committing crimes…
Actually it was $113 million in 2018 alone. And a total of $700 million since 2007.
Great point, Vexa. If Chicago PD really wants to save money, they should focus on reducing misconduct.
Uhhhh. Actually, oh sh*t. If he refuses to pay they could bring a civil suit against him. Then a judge would decide whether he filed a false report…on a balance of probabilities. That’s lower than the criminal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. Petty…but effective.
Oh and FFS his lawyers better not be serious about filing a lawsuit. Open your client up to discovery on this? Are you kidding me? Go away and be very quiet for at least 6 months to a year. It’s your only shot.
Oh jeez. Time for this story to go away. Yeah he did it but he got away with it and wasn’t convicted so why would he pay anything? I wish he’d admit it but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I wonder if he set this up to only have his manager find out about it. He was on the phone with him at the time and I think I remember Jussie had to be convinced to call the police in the first place.
notice we haven’t heard peep from his manager since the arrest
I have two words for Rahm Emanuel and the CPD – Laquan McDonald.
YES. Plenty of people are so thoroughly aghast about this case that were entirely silent about Laquan McDonald, makes me sick
I spent yesterday with my new (and first ever!) therapist, and then having an hour and a half facial and massage. I followed that up by watching 2 hours of Jason Momoa in Aquaman at home.
That all probably explains why I can read the national shitstain’s tweet calling anybody else a national embarrassment and actually laugh.
That sounds delightful. Congrats on the new therapist, as well!
So if Justin is not “completely exonerated” of a crime, then he should be invested at the highest level and definitely charged? Weird hill for Trump to want to die on…
Nothing too petty for Trump. He gets to rile up his racist base, deny hate crimes happen, and stick it to someone who has criticized him in the past. Total sweet spot for our dipshit-in-chief.
This is getting more and more ridiculous. Just when you think “that’s it”…bammmm…and on it goes.
Guilt is determined by trial in front of a jury of peers. Jussie is this not guilty. No trial conviction. The bill is thus obviously bull.
But I think the outrage stems from a few things: First, the cops feel upset that their investigation was so botched that people were blaming them for Jussie getting off. Second, the cops are just plain shady. Third, Jussie pissed folks off when he bragged he was totally innocent. Fourth, some folks are mad they didn’t get a cut of whatever money changed hands to get these charges dropped.
How can you even think he is not guilty?
I wasn’t saying what I believed regarding Jussie’s actions. I simply said guilt is determined by trial. No trial, no guilt. It’s called innocent till proven guilty in a court of law.
Not really the point. He wasn’t found guilty of a crime. Period. This is the law. Not the court of public opinion. CPD has no legal jurisdiction to send him a bill for anything.
As said above, he doesn’t need to be. OJ Simpson wasn’t found guilty either – but he was still liable to his victims’ families in a civil case. City of Chicago believes it’s owed money. They make a demand. If it’s not paid, they seek a judgment. Jussie doesn’t show up? They get one on default. Jussie does? It’s not hard for the City to make a prima facie case of wasted resources. Burden then turns to Jussie to prove he’s not responsible. This is not a criminal trial any longer, kids. It’s civil. Lower burden of proof. Not hard to convince a judge that Jussie negligently or recklessly caused the city to divert valuable resources. Like said above, petty, but damn effective.
You’re missing one GIANT legal point. OJ Simpson stood trial. Jussie did not. The case never went further than a grand jury indictment. You are comparing two COMPLETELY different scenarios. And as a native Chicagoan I am more concerned about the literally hundreds of millions of mine and other citizen’s tax dollars that went to paying off victims of CPD brutality. Where is my check for that??
So they better send a bill to EVERY citizen who reports a crime and the police don’t believe the crime occurred.Every citizen who they think filed a false report better receive a bill for the hours the police spent investigating that crime.
This is BS.If they want to be paid then have a criminal trial,if he is found guilty then send out a damn bill.Hell there are serial murders/mass murders who aren’t treated like this guy who allegedly(not found guilty) filed a false police report.
Technically they could file a civil suit against him. If he’s found culpable he could owe more than what they’re asking for despite having the criminal charges dropped.
Sounds like a rational outcome, finally.
Why does he have to lose his career though. JOn Hamm has a career and he’s admitted savage violence. Is pretending to be a victim worse than actual violence ?
Lol. Nothing rational about the CPD sending a bill for a crime that someone wasn’t convicted of. That bill isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. And Jussie has already through his attorneys that he’s not giving them a dime. He already forfeited his $10,000 bail money. They don’t deserve a dime more.
Not even remotely true. It’s worth its face value, plus interest and costs. It wouldn’t even be a difficult case to make to get a judgment and enforce it against him. If you plan to comment on the legality, learn it first. Smdh
Sometimes conviction is impossible but it’s so obvious he lied to them. I agree he’s not yet legally obligated to pay. Not sure why he wants this to get more interesting though, maybe notoriety was his plan all along? If so, he did well. I’d never heard of him and don’t even recognize his face from anything at all.
I really feel a big fine (income /net worth based as a deterrent) is a good punishment for this kind of crime, NOT jail that’s what I meant by rational.
The Cook County State’s Attorney botched this mightily. The National District Attorneys Association and the Illinois Prosecutor’s Bar Association are both ripping Kim Foxx’s office to shreds for the “abnormal and unfamiliar” way this was resolved. They are also slamming her for misleading the public about the law, for announcing her recusal from the case and then not actually recusing herself, and for erroneously issuing a statement that the sealing of the case was mandatory.
The leaks from the Chicago PD were not good (and are rightfully being investigated) but State’s Attorney’s office’s behavior was far more egregious and indicative of corruption. I’m glad the FBI is reviewing what happened. They don’t do that for nothing.
The ones who botched this mightily were the CPD. The leaks, the talking to the national ans local press about an open investigation (which ia against their own policy). Not to mention the fact that the CPD paid for a hotel room for the alleged co-conspirators for a week – despite Supt Eddie Johnson claiming to have never met them on GMA.
This case was screwed from the start. Do you think Jussie’s lawyers weren’t going to put the CPD’s case and behavior on trial?? And for what? A Class D Felony that doesnt even carry jail time??
The State’s Attorney did the smart thing. Why waste millions of dollars prosecuting a case they could very well lose for a crime that calls for community service.
The mistake Kim Foxx made was not being up front and stating plainly tbat the CPD screwed the case and the prosecutors office decided to call it a wrap instead.
I totally agree w/EVERYTHING you said and I live in Chgo.
Completely agree, Fanny. Here’s hoping Kim Foxx is out next election cycle – what she did was shady as hell.
The more unfortunate part of this mess is that real crimes weren’t being investigated, like the murder of Oceanea Jones. Check out the Daily Beast article about that.
How much time would CPD spend on the death of a Black woman on their best day?
Five minutes.
2 AM on a bitter cold night in Chicago and he goes to Subway? What about Uber eats or GrubHub?!
i can’t wait for BBQ Becky and Permit Patty to get their bills in the mail next week since we’re billing people for wasted police resources
Good point.
MTE.
Smollett already had to forfeit his $10 000 bail as a condition of his charges being dropped. That made no sense to me at all, in this whole episode that makes no sense. (Justice for sale – if you pay us money, we will drop your charges). (Justice by back door: if criminal court doesn’t work, we’ll use civil court). Yikes – no winners.
Smollet’s farcical attack and the ineptitude in Chicago sure energized Trump. He used it as a MAGA rallying cry with his supporters last night in Michigan. That’s why I’m pissed off.
I swear, if the outrage over a TV ACTOR TELLING A LIE doesn’t stop, I’m going to become a Jussie Smollett fan for life. Way too many people that I despise are losing sleep because a Black man got away with something that White men have been getting away with in the good ol USA for CENTURIES. How much did George Zimmerman pay after he got away with murdering a child? Exactly.
So, you can justify illegal behavior by citing the misdeeds of others?
Chicago police are corrupt as fuck. They are conflating an emergency call he place to save his life and an obstruction case. For instance, if an elderly, mental ill or just a terrified person calls 911 because they think someone is going to attack them, you get help to this person. If the person was wrong, you do not charge this person.
If they took action based on this call, then the police opened an investigation independent of the 911 caller. If they were wrong, it is on police.. For instance, if someone calls and says there is a suspicious person who is threatening in the area. You send help to them. If the police kills that person based on an emergency caller, the action (murder) is on the police 100% and agency that did it, not the caller. This is the modern day KKK.
Plse read a story in NY Post about this. Apparently Foxx is a proponent of Critical Race Theory credo. What her office did is totally in line with those beliefs. I admire her for walking the walk. Sure theres a social price to pay by the city of Chicago. But the outrage voiced by the Mayor & Chief of Police is laughable cos they must have known Smollet would never go to trial. Its Chi.