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Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
National
Megan Crepeau and Jason Meisner

Jussie Smollett deserves prison time for orchestrating hoax hate crime, lying to a jury, prosecutor argues

CHICAGO — Actor Jussie Smollett deserves prison time for faking a shocking hate crime on himself in Chicago on a frigid January night in 2019, a special prosecutor argued at Smollett’s sentencing Thursday.

While special prosecutor Dan Webb did not recommend a specific term behind bars, he said Smollett’s “serious criminal conduct” surrounding the case coupled with his decision to take the witness stand and lie to a Cook County jury meant that prison time was warranted.

“Mr. Smollett made the choice that he could deceive that jury, and he went on the stand and lied to them about so many different things,” Webb said in his argument. “ ... It was a ridiculous story.”

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