The Political Insider

Kim Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney, is under some significant scrutiny for how the Jussie Smollett alleged hate crime was handled and the actions of the court last week that saw a forfeited $10 thousand dollar bond along with phantom past community service offered as a payment to set Smollett free.

The FBI is looking into the case, and Foxx claims she is open to an outside investigation. Foxx said Smollett’s: “alleged unstable actions have probably caused him more harm than any court-ordered penance could.” She also added jails should be reserved for those who commit violent crimes.

Excuse me, Smollett’s actions could have resulted in violent actions spread throughout the nation on a claim that couldn’t be confirmed. Foxx has been all over the map on why she chose to drop charges. Now it changes to lack of solid evidence. No wait, it’s because it was not a violent crime. Last week it was because he qualified for a Chicago first offender program. At no time did she offer a reason for sealing all documents.

All this incident proves is that Chicago still has the best legal system money can buy.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is open to an outside investigation into her office’s decision to drop all charges against Jussie Smollett, the prosecutor wrote in a newspaper editorial.

Foxx said in a Friday night op-ed for the Chicago Tribune that a review about prosecutors’ decision to dismiss all 16 felony counts against the “Empire” actor would help maintain transparency. The dismissal drew an immediate rebuke from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, with the mayor calling it a “whitewash of justice .”

“I am not perfect, nor is any other prosecutor out there, but ensuring that I and my office have our community’s trust is paramount,” Foxx wrote.

Smollett was accused of faking a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January. [excerpt via Associated Press]

Before making such an abrupt decision, a grand jury should have seen and heard the evidence. It’s not up to Foxx to decide; it’s up to the legal system to decide. Foxx decided to be judge and jury which she is not. It’s her job to present the evidence, and there seems to be a lot of it here, to have it just dismissed.

Foxx is quoted as saying, “For a variety of reasons … my office believed the likelihood of securing a conviction was not certain.” So the video evidence, the Osundairo brothers confession, the canceled check, isn’t enough to convict. If they can’t convict with evidence like that, then they shouldn’t be prosecutors. Sorry Kim, but no one believes your claim.

Her comments don’t explain specifics around her decision based on “for a variety of reasons” — and especially don’t explain why she and her office blindsided the police department and the mayor by not letting them know her decision before announcing publicly! Everything, in this case, smacks of celebrity privilege and supports the adage, it’s not what you know but who you know! I say investigate her and her office and provide the public with proof at how often this “diversion” tactic has been done in the past as she claims.

What I don’t understand is if they have the brothers admitted to the hoax and a check from Smollett to the brothers how can this crime not be prosecuted or at the very least Smollett having to admit it was a hoax. He continues to claim his innocence when most people know that is a lie. Also, the letter he sent to himself is a federal crime, and that should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.