Jussie Smollett Walks Out Of Jail A Free Man!
Yes. It Happened. Jussie Smollett just walked out of jail in Chicago and he was flanked by a bunch of security guards as he was whisked away into a waiting SUV and drove off into the night…
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CelebnMusic247.com reports that after a decision earlier today, by an Illinois Appellate Court to cut short the former Empire star’s 150-day sentence pending appeal, Smollett walked out of Cook County Jail at around 8 PM local time.
As you know, Jussie Smollett had begun serving his 5 months last Thursday — and immediately after the judge sentenced him he was defiant … shouting he was innocent and raising his fist in the air as he was taken out of court in handcuffs.
His defense team and family members never stopped pressing for his release, though … claiming Jussie was in physical danger while behind bars.
According to Deadline:
Surrounded by members of his defense team, family and other supporters, Smollett was silent as he exited the Chicago facility. Defense attorney Nenye Uche told the assembled media that his client only drank water over the past 6 days and ate no food whatsoever.
After less than a week behind bars on a 150-day sentence for faking a hate crime, Jussie Smollett will be walking out of the Cook County Jail on Wednesday.
A one-page order unceremoniously released by the Illinois Appellate Court today in a 2-1 decision granted the motion from the former Empire actor’s lawyers for a stay of the sentence. Denied an appeal by the sentencing judge last week, the defense team sought to set Smollett free while his appeal on five felony convictions is pending.
The Appellate Court judge agreed, citing that Smollett likely already would have served his jail time sentence before his appeal had gotten very far. The order also noted that the actor had never been convicted of a violent crime. In fact, the paperwork’s only real demand was that Smollett put up a $150,000 personal recognizance bond.
Jussie Leaves Prison with his team:
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One of Jussie’s attorneys, Tina Glandian, said:
We are gratified that Jussie will be back with his family and loved ones and look forward to a dispassionate review and reversal of the serial injustices visited upon him.
Now that Jussie Smollett is free he will continue to try and get his sentence for the hoax attack overturned.
The appeals court ordered Jussie’s release during the appeal process. He’s being released from Cook County Jail on his own recognizance, but if he misses any future hearings it’ll cost him $150,000. It’s unclear when exactly he’ll be walking free.
Clearly, the state isn’t happy with the decision … its response to the ask for release reads, in part:
Rather than attempt to meet his burden of showing good cause for his immediate release, Mr. Smollett makes only cursory, woefully undeveloped arguments. Each fails to demonstrate good cause to stay his jail sentence.
Story developing…
