Justin M. Howard | March 13, 2022
Cook County Judge James Linn sentenced actor Jussie Smollett to 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in the county jail. Smollett also must pay the city of Chicago restitution fees of 120,106 dollars with a fine of 25,000. Judge Linn denied the request to suspend the sentence and ordered Smollett to be placed in custody immediately. Twitter users and independent media outlets like Popcorned Planet praised the judge for calling Smollett arrogant and Narcissistic for over 15 minutes during sentencing. Smollett still maintained his innocence as he left the courtroom. “If I did this, then it means I have stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for 400 years and the fears of the LGBT community. Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury but I did not do this.” In support of Smollett’s outburst, investigative reporter Chelli Stanley shares drops a major bombshell of what she witnessed in the footage obtained by the Chicago police department.
What Chicago Police Told The Public
In February 2019, Chicago police claimed to have hundreds of hours of surveillance footage but told the public that none show the attack. The police only released images of two people they wanted to question, calling them “persons of interest.” Later on, in May, the CPD released documents from their entire investigation to the public. Reviewing those notes, the Chicago police department had testimony from Jussie Smollett’s neighbor, hotel staff, and a security guard named Anthony Moore. Moore confirmed that he saw a white attacker. However, the police kept all the witness testimony and footage secret from the public.
Camera Footage Actually Shows Multiple White Men Involved
Investigative Reporter Chelli Stanley reviewed all the street camera footage obtained by the CPD and what she witnessed on those tapes was shocking. “As the men [Smollett’s attackers] continue running from the scene of the attack and eventually get into a taxi… outside the Hyatt Hotel. They come on screen… full-on camera it’s not a grainy surveillance camera… full in color and you can actually see who they are. The first man that you see come on film looks to be in his forties, receding hairline and he’s white, he’s like a heavy-set guy.” Stanley told radio host Thomas Kelly. She also described the second attacker: “The second man is wearing all-black, you can’t see his face and he’s the one that both the guard and Jesse told police was 6ft tall, masked and white… but the two people who ran from the scene of the attack are both white and they are the exact same body descriptions that Jussie gave the police, one is tall and skinny and the other one is slightly shorter and more heavy-set.” Stanley also saw a 3rd individual that was interacting with the two men, who was also white.
Special Prosecutor Dann Webb Sides With Chicago Police
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, has also lied or minimized evidence found by the Chicago police department during interviews with host Jonathan Amarilio and Thomas Kelly. “He[Jussie Smollett] told the jury, ‘I don’t know who attacked me. They were wearing dark clothing. They had face masks on. I had no idea who attacked me.’ I thought that was ridiculous. The evidence was overwhelming that through police surveillance of the brothers’ testimony, of course, it was the brothers.” Webb told Legal Talk. The police detective notes and witnesses’ statements show this to be undoubtedly false. Debb also minimized the testimony of vital witness Anthony Moore in an interview with Thomas Kelley claiming that Moore only saw the attackers far off from a window.
Anthony Moore testified in court that the individuals were very close to him to the point that he was able to shine a flashlight on one person’s face. “I saw a white male.” Moore told the jury. He also stated that he felt pressured by the Special Prosecutor’s office to change his story. It was discovered in court that when the special Prosecutors office was typing out Moore’s written statement of what he saw, they omitted any mention of a white male.