Nancy Grace: Jussie Smollett has created hurdles for future hate crime victims
Nancy Grace: Jussie Smollett has created doubt for future hate crimes
Fox Nation host and former prosecutor Nancy Grace reacts to Jussie Smollett’s indictment charges.
Longtime legal analyst and former prosecutor Nancy Grace said the alleged hoax perpetrated by actor Jussie Smollett will create skepticism about future hate crimes
«You know what really disturbs me?» Grace asked on «Tucker Carlson Tonight.«
JUSSIE SMOLLETT INDICTED ON 6 COUNTS FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO POLICE ABOUT ATTACK
«I have worked on hate crimes back when we didn’t even have the phrase ‘hate crimes.’ And I had a particular case where young African-American males were raped, shot in the head, stabbed, and they were found lying around Atlanta with their pants pulled down. That is a hate crime,» Grace said.
«That is a hate crime! When other hate crime victims go in front of the jury, they are going to go back and go, ‘You think they are pulling a Smollett? Is that all B.S.?’ That is what he’s done.»
The host of Fox Nation’s «Crime Stories with Nancy Grace» was responding to news that the former “Empire” actor was indicted by a grand jury on six counts of disorderly conduct after he allegedly lied to police about staging a racist and homophobic attack against him in January 2019.
Smollett is also facing a civil case brought on by the city of Chicago that seeks to have the actor reimburse the police department for the $130,000 spent on investigating the alleged attack as well as other costs that reportedly total close to $500,000.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT’S ALLEGED HATE CRIME ATTACK: A TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Smollett, who is black and gay, was originally charged last year with disorderly conduct for allegedly staging the attack and lying about it to investigators. The charges were dropped in March 2019 with little explanation, angering police officials and then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
«What about the detectives working nearly 2,000 man-hours in overtime? Now they drop the charges, are you kidding me? What a slap in the face,» Grace said.
At the time of the incident, Smollett said his attackers, at least one of whom he said was white, told him he was in «MAGA country» — a reference to President Trump’s campaign slogan, «Make America Great Again.»
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In February 2019, police determined that Smollett’s masked attackers were brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, who trained Smollett and worked with him on «Empire.»
Investigators also identified the brothers as those on surveillance video buying the rope that reportedly was hung around the actor’s neck during the alleged attack.
«He used hate crimes to his advantage to make more money,» Grace said. «He was already pulling down 65 grand per episode … but that did not make him happy.»
