Jussie Smollett Case: Jury Selection To Start In November

The jury selection in the trial of the actor of Jussie Smollett is set to start on Nov. 29, according to the New York Times, a Cook County judge announced at a hearing on Tuesday (Oct. 5). 

Smollett is charged with disorderly conduct after prosecutors say he staged an attack in 2019. He pleaded not guilty.  

BET previously reported that the case of the former Empire first began back on Jan. 29, 2019, after allegations that two men assaulted him in a racist and homophobic attack while he was returning home from a sandwich shop in Chicago. Smollett claimed that he was beaten, called racist and homophobic slurs, had an “unknown chemical substance” poured on him, and had a rope put around his neck. 

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Cook County state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, charged Smollett with filing a false police report on Feb. 20, 2019. The charges were soon dropped, and in August of the same year, special prosecutor Dan K. Webb was appointed to the case by a judge, the Times notes. 

Webb later indicted Smollett on six felony counts of disorderly conduct. 

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Prior to the jury selection, on Oct. 15, a hearing will take place on a new motion to dismiss the case.  

Smollett also faces a lawsuit from the City of Chicago. It claims that the actor owes the city at least $130,000 to cover the overtime costs for the police while they investigated the alleged incident they say was a hoax