Jussie Smollett was reportedly released from jail on Wednesday night (March 16) after posting a $150,000 bond, barely six days after being sentenced to 150 days in prison and 30 months of probation for faking a hate crime. According to CNN, an Illinois appeals court granted his defense attorneys’ emergency motion, enabling him to remain at home as the appeals process unfolds.
When the judge handed down his sentence on Friday (March 11), the former Empire actor said matter-of-factly, “Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”
He was then led out of the courtroom with his fist in the air. Defense attorney Nenye Uche called the sentence “a disgrace” in a subsequent press conference and added, “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?”
As he gave his decision, Cook County Judge James Linn chastised Smollett for a half-hour, saying him he had “destroyed” his life. His brother posted a video to Instagram hours after he was arrested, stating that his brother was not suicidal. He also said that a note was added to his file indicating he was at risk of “self-harm,” which his brother denied.
Smollett, on the other hand, has been refusing to eat for the past six days, causing concern. Last week, Smollett’s defense filed an emergency request, stating that he would be “irreparably harmed” if he served a sentence for charges that could be overturned, and that he would likely serve his jail term before his appeal was completed. They also mentioned the dangers of COVID-19, citing his weakened immune system.
The court granted the attorneys’ motion, explaining it would be “unable to dispose of the instant appeal before the defendant would have served his entire sentence of incarceration.”
