A Cook County judge ruled Friday that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s disorderly conduct charges would not be dropped as they did not violate his constitutional protection against double jeopardy, arguing the charges dropped against him last year were invalid due to misconduct by the Cook County State’s Attorney office.
Smollett was indicted earlier this year on new charges stemming from his claims in January 2019 that he had been attacked by two racist white men in Chicago on a frigid night who yelled homophobic and racial epithets at him. He claimed they poured a bleach-like substance on him and tied a noose around his neck, which he continued to wear until he was interviewed by police about the incident later. After a national outcry despite the obvious issues with his story, a police investigation discovered that Smollett made up the claim and allegedly hired two brothers from Nigeria to attack him while wearing red hats he later claimed were “Make America Great Again” hats from President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
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