Jussie Smollett Appeals to Illinois Supreme Court to Overturn Conviction

Jussie Smollett is seeking to have his 2021 conviction for staging a fake hate crime against himself and lying to police thrown out by the Illinois Supreme Court, claiming protection under double jeopardy. The former "Empire" actor's appeal comes after an Illinois appeals court affirmed his disorderly conduct conviction and jail sentence. Smollett had reported a racist and homophobic attack in 2019, but authorities later accused him of orchestrating the hoax and paying two men to stage the assault. His legal team has argued that he was unfairly targeted due to his race and sexual orientation, while prosecutors maintain that his actions wasted significant police resources.