Jussie Smollett was released from jail Wednesday night, after an Illinois appeals court granted an emergency motion by his defense attorneys. Smollett’s legal team is looking to delay his sentence and grant him bond until their appeal on his conviction is decided on.The former “Empire” actor was sentenced last week to 30 months of felony probation — including 150 days in jail — and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine for making false reports to police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019.“There is no room for politics in our court system,” defense attorney Nenye Uche said in a news conference shortly after the actor’s release. “Regardless of what you think about this case … the real question is, should Black men be walked into jail for a Class 4 felony?”
“That’s a disgrace,” the attorney added. Uche, as well as other attorneys from the team who spoke Wednesday, criticized the judge who sentenced Smollett last week. Cook County Judge James Linn spoke to the actor for more than half an hour, criticizing his actions.
“The judge spent a great deal of time chastising, berating my client,” Uche said. “I’ve never seen that before.”
Over the past six days in jail, Smollett did not eat anything besides ice water, Uche said.
