All criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jessie Smollett was allegedly attacked by two people he was unable to identity on January 29th. He was arrested on multiple felony charges for staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself. Smollett has strongly denied the accusations. He is accused of sending a threatening letter to himself, which was received at Cineplace Studios a week before the alleged attack. After Smollett was arrested in late February, Chicago prosecutors read out in court a lengthy series of text messages between Smollett and brothers Olabinjo and Abimola that painted a picture of a pre-planned attack. Far from the vile assault Smollett first described in late January, the texts detailed preparing money to buy supplies, buying drugs, setting up meetings and ensuring that MAGA hats and chants were part of the assault.

Prosecutors announced this decision only 18 days after a grand jury had indicted him on sixteen felony accounts, citing Smollett’s history of volunteer work and two days of community service performed by that actor since his arrest, as well as his agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond to the city. Police superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett and his attorneys “chose to hide behind secrecy and broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system.” Mayor Rahm Emanual  said, “This is without a doubt, a whitewash of justice and sends a clear message that if you are in a position of influence and power, you will get treated one way, and other people will be treated another way, there is no accountability.” Emmanuel added that the $10,000 bond “doesn’t even come close” to the resources the city used for the investigation into Smollett and his claims.

Many people were upset about the charges being dropped because they felt like it wasn’t fair. Many people thought it was a major crime that deserved major consequences, but that did not happen. Justin Beltran, a senior expressed his concern, “I think they should have not dropped his charges because I think it was a very serious crime and Smollett should have lived with the consequences.”