Cook County Judge James Linn has ignored pleas from Rev. Jesse Jackson and sent convicted hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett straight to jail.
Jackson and Hollywood star Samuel Jackson had appealed to the court in the hope that the disgraced actor would be spared a prison sentence.
However, the judge was appalled by Smollett’s crimes and sentenced the former Empire star to 5 months in the notorious Cook County Jail.
Judge Linn ripped Smollett in court, saying:
“You have another side of you that is profoundly arrogant and selfish and narcissistic.
“That’s the only thing that can be concluded.
“You turned your life upside down by your misconduct and shenanigans.
“There’s nothing that any sentencing judge can do to you that would compare to the damage you’ve already caused yourself.
“For you to now sit here, convicted of hoaxing hate crimes, racial hate crimes, and homophonic hate crimes, the hypocrisy is just astounding.
“You knew this was a country that was slowing trying to heal past injustices and current injustices and trying to make a better future for each other.
“And it was a hard road.
“You took some scabs off some healing wounds, and you ripped them apart for one reason – you wanted to make yourself more famous, and for a while, it worked.
“That bad side of you came out during the course of all these events.
“There’s a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that’s just disgraceful.
“You’re not a victim of a racial hate crime, you’re not a victim of a homophobic hate crime.
“You’re just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that’s shameful,” the judge said,
“arrogant* and selfish and narcissistic” #Smollett
Cook County Judge James B. Linn, Associate Judge Criminal Division Court, concerning @JussieSmollett #JussieSmollett
*having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.pic.twitter.com/AY0jHBrevu
— Linda Marie Lovison (@lilo623) March 11, 2022
After learning his fate Smollett erupted in a temper tantrum in court, saying: “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.”
Some big names begged the judge to give Smollett a break at sentencing in letters to the judge asking for leniency.
Rev. Jesse Jackson wrote “Jussie has a long track record of being a deeply engaged and contributing citizen…
“Jussie has already suffered.”
Actor Samuel L. Jackson and his wife, actress LaTanya Jackson, also wrote a letter to the judge that said in part, “I humbly implore you to please find an alternative to incarceration.”
Defense attorney Nenye Uche said he disagreed with the jury’s verdict and that the defense would appeal and win in appellate court.
“He (Smollett) is 100% confident that this will be reversed on appeal,” Uche said.
“At the end of the day, we believe justice will prevail.
“We don’t believe it was done (in December) but we’re very confident that he will be cleared and he will be found to be innocent.”
