Illinois Appeals Court Upholds Jussie Smollett's Conviction

The Illinois Appeals Court has upheld Jussie Smollett's conviction for disorderly conduct in a 2-1 vote. Smollett's lawyers have the option to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court does not reverse the ruling, Smollett will have to serve the remaining 150-day jail sentence. Smollett, known for his role in "Empire," had claimed to be the victim of a hate crime in 2019 but was later charged with orchestrating a fake hate crime against himself. His attorneys argued that he was being punished twice for the same crime, but the appeals court ruled that the retrial was not fundamentally unfair.