Jussie Smollett trial resumes, unclear if he will testify

By DON BABWIN and SARA BURNETT
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The big question as Jussie Smollett’s trial resumes is whether the actor will tell his side of the story. Two brothers spent hours telling a jury last week how the former “Empire” actor paid them to carry out a fake racist and anti-gay attack on him in downtown Chicago. The defense began calling witnesses Thursday and the trial resumed Monday with testimony from a security guard and a producer of “Empire.” Attorneys rarely announce whether their clients will take the stand before they actually call them to testify, and Smollett’s attorneys have not made their plans public. Smollett, who is gay and Black, is charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct for making what prosecutors say was a false police report about the alleged attack.