Chicago prosecutors told police days after Jussie Smollett’s arrest that the actor would get off with a fine and community service rather than be taken to trial.
Police documents unveiled Thursday show that prosecutors in Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office wanted to settle the Smollett case with a $10,000 fine and community service instead of taking Smollett to trial. About a month after Smollett’s arrest, prosecutors dropped the case against the “Empire” actor.
Police arrested Smollett on Feb. 28 on a charge of disorderly conduct. Officials in Foxx’s office then called police investigators off Smollett, saying they “could no longer investigate the crime,” according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Police detectives were informed by Assistant State Attorney Risa Lanier “that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the City of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service,” according to the documents. Lanier told detectives that the prosecutor’s office would follow up for more evidence against Smollett, but Foxx’s office did not contact police before dropping charges against the actor a month later.
Prosecutors announced March 26 that all 16 charges against Smollett would be dropped. In return, Smollett agreed to forfeit the $10,000 bond he paid to be released from prison.
Smollett’s run-in with the Chicago Police Department stemmed from a fake hate crime he allegedly staged after he grew upset with the police and public’s reaction to a threat against him.
