Jussie Smollett Conviction Overturned By Illinois Supreme Court 

Jussie Smollett‘s conviction relating to charges claiming that he staged an alleged racist and homophobic hate crime in 2019 has been overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court.

According to CNN, on Thursday (Nov. 21), the court ruled without addressing Smollett’s claims of innocence that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to bring charges against the actor after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges in exchange for forfeiting his $10,000 bond and community service.

“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” Justice Elizabeth Rochfordd detailed in the 5-0 decision, per CNN. “Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the state was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.”

The Empire actor was found guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct for making false reports to police in December 2021. The following March, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months probation, and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine.

In December 2023, an Illinois Appeals Court upheld his disorderly conduct conviction, affirmed by a 2-1 vote from a panel of three judges. From there, the appeal was taken to the state’s highest court. Throughout the entire ordeal, Smollett has maintained his innocence.

“Smollett performed his end of the agreement and forfeited $10,000,” Thursday’s ruling stated, per USA Today. “If the previous proceeding is null and void, (he) could rightly wonder what happened to his $10,000.”