Actor Jussie Smollett’s malicious prosecution lawsuit against the city of Chicago and several police officers was tossed by a federal judge on Wednesday, according to USA Today.
The actor has been fighting a lengthy court battle that stems from an incident in January 2019, in which he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime that police say the “Empire” star arranged and staged for publicity.
Smollett was indicted in February for a second time on charges of lying to police about the attack he allegedly staged. The indictment came from a special prosecutor who was appointed after Cook County prosecutors dropped the same charges last March.
Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct, including charges that he lied to police about his reported attack.
Smollett, who is black and openly gay, told police in 2019 he was beaten by two men who looped a noose around his neck in a homophobic attack. Chicago police then said the attack had been staged and charged Smollett with making a false report. Those charges were later dropped in a controversial decision by the prosecutor. At the time, Smollett's prior community service and his willingness to forfeit his $10,000 bond, was cited by the office of the Cook County State's Attorney, which called it a "just disposition,” while others strongly disagreed.
In April, the city filed a lawsuit against Smollett seeking over $130,000 to cover the cost of police overtime spent investigating his report. In November, the former "Empire" actor countersued, stating that the $10,000 he had paid after the close of a criminal case should prevent Chicago from seeking reimbursement. The lawsuit said Smollett had suffered humiliation and extreme distress as the result of a malicious prosecution
Smollett was indicted in February for a second time on charges of lying to police about the attack he allegedly staged. The indictment came from a special prosecutor who was appointed after Cook County prosecutors dropped the same charges last March.
Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct, including charges that he lied to police about his reported attack.
On Wednesday U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall dismissed Smollett's lawsuit, stating that all proceedings against him had to have ended before he could raise a malicious prosecution claim.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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