Jussie Smollett released from jail pending an appeal of his convictions
Related: Jussie Smollett sentenced to jail, has courtroom outburstOne of Smollett’s defense attorneys, Nenye Uche, said his client refused food during his six days in Cook County Jail and lived on nothing but iced water.
He did not say why.Talking to reporters last night, Uche voiced his opinion that Judge James Linn had treated Smollett harshly in sentencing him last week.“There is no room for politics in our court system … 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.”The appeals court ordered Smollett’s release conditional on him posting “a personal recognizance bond (I Bond) in the amount of $150,000.” In Illinois, this means he does not have to put down money but must attend court hearings as required.Smollett left jail, surrounded by security, at around 8pm local time last night.
He did not take questions from reporters but got in a waiting SUV and was sped away.Smollett was found guilty in December on five charges of felony disorderly conduct after making false reports about a hoax hate-crime attack in January 2019.Jurors at his trial heard how Smollett had colluded with two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to stage the attack.
