March 16 (Reuters) – An Illinois appeals courtroom on Wednesday ordered the discharge of actor Jussie Smollett from jail whereas the one-time star of the TV drama “Empire” appeals his conviction for staging a hate crime in opposition to himself.
The two-1 ruling by a three-judge panel famous that Smollett’s conviction was for a non-violent offense and mentioned he could possibly be launched upon posting a $150,000 recognizance bond. It was unclear when Smollett would possibly stroll free.
Smollett has spent six nights in jail since a Cook dinner County choose sentenced him to 150 days of confinement plus 30 months of probation, ordered him to pay over $120,000 in restitution, and fined him $25,000.
In December a jury discovered Smollett, 39, responsible of 5 counts of disorderly conduct for falsely telling police he was accosted on a darkish Chicago avenue by two masked strangers in a racist and homophobic assault in January 2019. The investigation revealed that Smollett, who’s Black and homosexual, paid two males to stage the assault.
Regardless of sustaining his innocence, Smollett misplaced his position as a singer-songwriter within the ultimate season of “Empire,” a Fox tv hip-hop drama that ended a five-year run in 2020.
Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Modifying by Leslie Adler
: .
