Just when you thought the Jussie Smollett case couldn’t get anymore bizarre, stand back and take cover, there is more.
Kim Foxx, the highly criticized Democrat Cook County Prosecutor literally wrote an Op-Ed late Friday night for the Chicago Tribune, you just can’t make this stuff up.
There was considerable evidence, uncovered in large part due to the investigative work of the Chicago Police Department, suggesting that portions of Smollett’s claims may have been untrue and that he had direct contact with his so-called attackers. Claims by Smollett or others that the outcome of this case has “exonerated” him or that he has been found innocent are simply wrong. He has not been exonerated; he has not been found innocent.
So, why isn’t Smollett in prison or at least on trial? There are two different answers to this, both equally important.
First, the law. There were specific aspects of the evidence and testimony presented to the office that would have made securing a conviction against Smollett uncertain. In determining whether or not to pursue charges, prosecutors are required to balance the severity of the crime against the likelihood of securing a conviction. For a variety of reasons, including public statements made about the evidence in this case, my office believed the likelihood of securing a conviction was not certain.
It’s an insanely interesting op-ed, and I honestly can’t believe she wrote it. I encourage you to read it over at The Chicago Tribune.