Jussie Smollett Found Guilty on Five Counts, Will Appeal

The verdict is in for the high-profile jury trial surrounding Empire star Jussie Smollett, though the journey may be far from over. Smollett has been found guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct for making false reports to police that he was a victim of a hate crime in January 2019. He was acquitted on one count of felony disorderly conduct. 

Smollett took the stand and testified before the Chicago jury that he never lied to police and denied orchestrating the attack on himself. The 12-person jury deliberated for more than nine hours over Wednesday and Thursday.

Here is a quick lowdown on today’s verdict and the future of the former Empire star…

What’s Next for Jussie Smollett

Nenye Uche, Jussie Smollett’s attorney, told CNN he “respectfully disagrees” with the jury’s verdict, adding that he feels “100% confident” that Smollett’s case will be won on appeal.

“He [Smollett] is 100% confident that this will be reversed on appeal,” Uche told CNN. “At the end of the day, we believe justice will prevail. We don’t believe it was done today but we’re very confident that he will be cleared and he will be found to be innocent.”

Uche said Smollett is disappointed but emphasized that his team remains confident in Smollett’s innocence and said he is hopeful to get a “fair result” in appellate court.

Photo Credit: Fox