Jury reaches verdict in trial of actor Jussie Smollett
By DON BABWIN and SARA BURNETT
Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett on charges he staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself and lied to Chicago police about it. It is expected to be read aloud in court later Thursday. The jury deliberated for just over nine hours after a weeklong trial. Two brothers testified that Smollett orchestrated the hoax to get publicity. They said he paid them to fake the January 2019 attack in downtown Chicago. Smollett testified “there was no hoax” and that he was the victim of a hate crime. He says the brothers are “liars.” His attorneys say the brothers wanted $1 million not to testify against Smollett.
