The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned Jussie Smollett's conviction, effectively clearing the actor of charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in Chicago in 2019.
Smollett had maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings, claiming he was the victim of a hate crime.
The 'Empire' alum's appeal centered on the involvement of a special prosecutor. His legal team argued that the Cook County state's attorney's decision to drop the charges should have been final, making the special prosecutor's intervention inappropriate. The state's highest court heard arguments on the matter in September before ultimately siding with Smollett.
Originally published on Enstarz
