Jussie Smollett should be grateful

Finally … justice has been served in the Jussie Smollett case – after three years from the time he tried to scam the world for some cheap publicity to boost his second-rate acting career.  

Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in the county jail.  It could have been worse – much worse.  The maximum for each of his convictions on six counts of felony disorder was 30 years of hard time in prison.  And the Judge James B. Linn could have made them consecutive – amounting to 180 years behind bars.

Of course, such a sentence would have been an intolerable injustice, but it is useful to understand what the law would have allowed compared to what he got.

On the other hand, he could have gotten no jail time – just probation.  But that would also have been an intolerable injustice.  Judge Linn explained why Smollett needed to spend some time in the hoosegow in an excoriating sentencing statement.  It was not a minor hoax with limited ramifications.

As the Judge explained, what Smollett did had a major impact on society in many ways.  He planned and executed a hate crime attack on himself by a couple of alleged MAGA Trump people.  Not only did he want sympathetic publicity, but he also wanted to smear those he considers his political enemies.  

He claimed that the attack was motivated by two “strangers” who accosted him because of his race and his homosexuality.

The scheme fell apart because Smollett is in the highest ranks of stupid pranksters. The two men were associates of his – not strangers.   They and Smollett left behind a trail of irrefutable evidence – from messages between the parties to the purchase of equipment and a payment check from Smollett for services rendered.  I mean really … who pays for a crime with a check?  

As Linn pointed out, Smollett did great harm to the credibility of every Black person and every gay person who is the victim of a real attack.  He did great harm to the credibility of progressive Democrats who rushed to support him – including the President and the Vice President of the United States.  He made fools of them.  (No snide comment, please.)

Smollett – in proclaiming his innocence – attacked the police, claiming to be the victim of racism.  In fact, Smollett’s lies required that the police and investigators had to put in a lot of time building the case.

Smollett almost got away with it, when a too friendly prosecutor, Cook County District Attorney Kim Foxx, inexplicably dropped all charges and Judge Steven Watkins – in a head-scratching move — ordered the file to be sealed.  The public outrage forced the re-opening of the case – and charges were filed by Special Prosecutor Dan Webb.  When the facts and evidence started coming out, it revealed just how crooked were the Foxx and Watkins actions.

The judge also noted that Smollett testified in his own behalf – which he did not have to do.  But while on the stand he repeatedly perjured himself.  Judge Linn called Smollett’s testimony “two hours of perjury.”

In addition to the jail time, Smollett received a $25,000 fine and is required to pay more than $130,000 in restitution to Cook County for the costs he imposed on law enforcement.  

When allowed to speak after sentencing, Smollett went into an irrational rage – screaming over and over “I am not suicidal” – saying if he were to die in jail, it would be murder.  He also raised his clenched fist and repeated his grand lie … that he is innocent.

You should recall that this was not the first time Smollett attempted this type of ruse.  He had previously sent himself some white powder and then ran to the press.  He got caught in that lie, too.  But that time, he got a pass.  That is why it is so important that he pay a higher price this time.

Smollett’s claims of innocence against so much compelling evidence suggests that he is not just a con man but has mental issues.  Some observers have already predicted that upon his release, Smollett will renew his claim of innocence and add to it false claims of abuse by guards and fellow inmates.   

Smollett is getting the amount of publicity he craved, but not the type.  In fact, he may have also imposed the worst sentence on himself – the end of his acting career.  He appears to be too irrational, volatile and dishonest to be trusted by any producer.

All things considered, Smollett is getting off with a fairly light sentence.  He should be thankful.

So, there ‘tis.