Joe Magats, the top deputy for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, made the decision to drop the charges. He categorically stated that this should not be seen as Smollett being exonerated.
He also said the following: "Here's the thing, we work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime. Public safety is our number one priority. I don't see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.
We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case. The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence."
This is part of the statement put out by the state attorney's office about the charges being dropped: "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."
So, they are not saying that Smollett is innocent, and they are not saying that there was any kind of issue with the charges or the evidence. Why they decided to let him off the hook is open to speculation. The statement they put out indicates that Smollett letting the state keep his $10,000 bail money and his "volunteer service in the community" played a part, but there is possibly more going on behind the scenes than this. The Chicago PD are understandably annoyed about this, and the mayor of Chicago has called it a "whitewashing of justice".
There's also: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6840119/Chicago-States-Attorney-fire-trying-convince-FBI-Jussie-Smollett.html
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TexasJack (12516)
6 years ago
It seems that Magats is just as confused as Mueller. Prosecutors do not exonerate people; they either prosecute or they don't.
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