After being sentenced to 30 months of probation, including 150 days of jail time; for staging a hate crime against himself and lying to police about it; an Illinois court has cleared the way for Jussie Smollett’s release. The court ordered the actor be released from jail after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000; and pending the appeal of his conviction.
Smollett’s attorneys had argued that the actor would have completed the sentence by the time the appeal process was completed; and that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he is allowed to remained in jail.
Jussie Smollett was silent as he exited the Chicago facility although he was surrounded by his family; members of his defense team, and other supporters. His Defense attorney Nenye Uche however told the assembled media that his client only drank water; over the past 6 days and ate no food whatsoever.
The order also noted that the actor “has been convicted on non-violent offenses,” which is an obvious factor. In fact, the paperwork’s only real demand was that Smollett put up a $150,000 personal recognizance bond.
Last week, just before being led away by deputies after a visibly angered Judge James Linn handed down the sentence, Smollett stood up at the defense table and yelled, “I am not suicidal!”
“If anything happens to me in there, I did not do it,” the actor continued. As he was being escorted out of the courtroom, Smollett further yelled out as he raised his fist in the air and loudly declared: “I am not suicidal, I am innocent!”
“Regardless of what you think about this case… the real question is, should black men be walked into jail for a Class 4 felony? Shame on you if you think they should, that’s a disgrace,” his defence attorney Nenye Uche is quoted as saying in The Chicago Tribune.