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Jussie Smollett alleges he was victim of hate crime, police arrest him for faking it

Chary

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So, a few days ago, Jussie Smollett, an actor on the TV show Empire, filed a police report, claiming he was a victim of a hate crime. He stated that while walking to a fast food place at 2am, he was approached by two men who proceeded to punch him, wrap a noose around his neck, pour bleach on him, and yell racial slurs. They then ran away yelling, "This is MAGA county!". After the police got involved, they arrested the two suspects, who admitted to the crime, while also saying that Smollett had PAID them to stage the incident, in order to give his career a boost, as his role on Empire was ending soon. A team of 20 Chicago PD detectives began to investigate the case, and decided to arrest Smollett on charges of felony disorderly conduct, over filing a false police report.

Smollett still alleges that he was a victim of a hate crime, and his lawyers claim that he did not hire anyone to stage it. Chicago's police dept held a conference, expressing their disappointment over the ordeal. saying that Smollett's actions "were a slap in the face to actual victims".

Do you think Smollett faked everything in order to try to give his career a boost? Or to take advantage of a county that's currently facing a lot of political division? Alternatively, do you believe the police are wrong, and they've come to an incorrect conclusion?

:arrow: Chicago Tribune
 

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The two men arrested are friends of Smollett. The police have videos of the two of them buying rope which happens to be the exact same rope used on Smollett. They have videos of the two men buying the black hoods the attackers used. They have a cheque Smollett wrote out for the two brothers they also have a letter that was sent to Smollett that was racist. Oh wait the letter writter by some strange coincidence has the same writing as Smollet. Smollet has staged this and he is scum for doing so.
 

FAST6191

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Been following this for a few days. I don't think it was just a felony either last I looked and the feds were involved.

I will wait for the judge to issue the sentence, however were I inclined to bet then there would be a fairly large chunk of change on guilty from everything I have seen, and I doubt even the Chicago police would make a move like that if they did not have serious evidence.
 

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If he did fake it, what a scumbag. We don't need this shit right now, or ever, really.
Yeah, he definitely deserves whatever punishment is coming. This belittles actual attacks and plots of violence. Just yesterday it broke that there was an alt-right Coast Guard officer plotting multiple mass shootings:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2...-nationalist-allegedly-had-plan-kill-innocent

CD said:
Just as a new report was released showing the continued rise of hate groups in the United States, federal authorities say they have thwarted a plan by a white nationalist "domestic terrorist" to begin widespread, violent attacks on President Donald Trump's perceived political opponents with the aim of establishing "a white homeland."

U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Paul Hasson was arrested late last week, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, after investigators accused him of stockpiling weapons to carry out his plans. Hasson had compiled a long list of targets including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as well as other politicians and journalists.

And I'm sure there are already plenty of idiots out there calling this "fake news" because of what Smollett did. Then again, they've always been inclined to believe whatever best fits their narrative.
 
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Hanafuda

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And I'm sure there are already plenty of idiots out there calling this "fake news" because of what Smollett did. Then again, they've always been inclined to believe whatever best fits their narrative.

It's not fake news. I just want to know what the government's probable cause was for obtaining a warrant to crack his whole life open. The whole case, according to all the reporting so far, is based on evidence obtained by searching and spying on him. Emails for a bulk purchase of Tramadol, a letter he mailed to himself (?que?), online purchases of survivalist crap, online purchases of urine for drug tests, his 'manifesto' and 'hitlist' ... none of that would be accessible to law enforcement without a warrant. The crimes here are possessing Rx without a prescription, and possessing firearms while an addict. All the evidence to prove those charges came from post-warrant searches. So, what did he do that constituted probable cause to get the search warrant? If there's something legit, it's not in the reporting.

Was it just that he 'fit a profile?'

Not trying to defend the guy, just the 4th Amendment. We're not living in Minority Report yet, I hope.
 
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Xzi

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It's not fake news. I just want to know what the government's probable cause was for obtaining a warrant to crack his whole life open. The whole case, according to all the reporting so far, is based on evidence obtained by searching and spying on him. Emails for a bulk purchase of Tramadol, a letter he mailed to himself (?que?), online purchases of survivalist crap, online purchases of urine for drug tests, his 'manifesto' and 'hitlist' ... none of that would be accessible to law enforcement without a warrant. The crimes here are possessing Rx without a prescription, and possessing firearms while an addict. All the evidence to prove those charges came from post-warrant searches. So, what did he do that constituted probable cause to get the search warrant? If there's something legit, it's not in the reporting.

Was it just that he 'fit a profile?'

Not trying to defend the guy, just the 4th Amendment. We're not living in Minority Report yet, I hope.
I'm guessing that something he posted online or something he bought online automatically flagged him as a potential threat. Then law enforcement started watching him a little closer after that, and eventually gathered enough evidence for arrest.

No, we're not in the Minority Report yet. It's more like the 'Idiocracy Report,' because people publicly post stuff online that gets them fired or arrested all the time.
 

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I'm guessing that something he posted online or something he bought online automatically flagged him as a potential threat. Then law enforcement started watching him a little closer after that, and eventually gathered enough evidence for arrest.

No, we're not in the Minority Report yet. It's more like the 'Idiocracy Report,' because people publicly post stuff online that gets them fired or arrested all the time.

I'm assuming the same, but I wanna see the receipts. Per Brandenburg v. Ohio, there would need to be evidence of 'imminent lawless action' in his public speech, otherwise its protected no matter how repugnant to sensible people. The online purchases should be secure, not subject to search without a warrant.
 

Xzi

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I'm assuming the same, but I wanna see the receipts. Per Brandenburg v. Ohio, there would need to be evidence of 'imminent lawless action' in his public speech, otherwise its protected no matter how repugnant to sensible people. The online purchases should be secure, not subject to search without a warrant.
True, but certain things are guaranteed to immediately get the attention of the FBI/law enforcement. Like buying a ballistics vest or certain military surplus items online.
 

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True, but certain things are guaranteed to immediately get the attention of the FBI/law enforcement. Like buying a ballistics vest or certain military surplus items online.

No that's what I'm saying ... without a warrant to search, how would they know about a secure transaction? And even if they did know, it's still perfectly legal and a million miles from probable cause to obtain a warrant. I don't think they legally knew any of this stuff about the guy until after they got in his drawers. The possible exception would be if he was stupid enough to use Coast Guard (govt) computers or servers to send these emails. I'm sure it'll all come out, but the reporting has been trash.
 
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Hanafuda

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AFAIK, sales for stuff like ballistics vests are required to be reported by the seller. That, or they're automatically reported by default.

I'd be interested to see that law/reg. I know there's federal law that prohibits possession of body armor for convicted felons, but he's not. There are state laws that prohibit wearing body armor during commission of a crime, or enhance punishment, but I don't know of any required reporting laws. Could be so somewhere I guess. Still wouldn't be probable cause to search though.
 
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Xzi

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I'd be interested to see that law/reg. I know there's federal law that prohibits possession of body armor for convicted felons, but he's not. There are state laws that prohibit wearing body armor during commission of a crime, or enhance punishment, but I don't know of any required reporting laws. Could be so somewhere I guess. Still wouldn't be probable cause to search though.
Yeah I'm way off base here. After reading the original article, it seems the arrest was for possession of illegal weapons and drugs. It wasn't until they searched his house afterward that they uncovered the plot to commit shootings.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...daf6b8-3544-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html

WaPo said:
Hasson was arrested Friday on charges of illegally possessing weapons and drugs, but the government said those charges are the “proverbial tip of the iceberg.” Officials with the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland outlined Hasson’s alleged plans to spark chaos and destruction, describing in court documents a man obsessed with neo-fascist and neo-Nazi views.
 

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So, he tried to claim that he decided to go out to Subway, for a salad at 2am, during a Polar vortex(it was -20f). Does he not know what Grubhub is?! Who goes out during a Polar vortex, in Chicago of all places?

What white supremacist would dox a C list celebrity, and know that he's randomly going to go out during a Polar vortex at 2am? Who carries rope and bleach during a Polar vortex, in Chicago of all places?

I'm surprised people actually thought this story was real in the first place.
 

Viri

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Yeah, he definitely deserves whatever punishment is coming. This belittles actual attacks and plots of violence. Just yesterday it broke that there was an alt-right Coast Guard officer plotting multiple mass shootings:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2...-nationalist-allegedly-had-plan-kill-innocent
I love how the very first thing you bring up in this topic are white supremacist terrorist in something completely off topic. You hardly even mention the guy first, before you try to change the subject to the white supremacist. Yes, we know they exist, but this topic isn't about them. Make your own damn thread about the terrorist white supremacist. This thread is about Jussie.
 

Hanafuda

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Yeah I'm way off base here. After reading the original article, it seems the arrest was for possession of illegal weapons and drugs. It wasn't until they searched his house afterward that they uncovered the plot to commit shootings.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...daf6b8-3544-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html


And it wasn't until after they searched his house that they knew he had illegal drugs (Rx drugs with no prescription). And they weren't illegal weapons ... the govt. only charges that he's not legal to possess guns, because he's an addict.

The 'plot to commit shootings' could be a thing, but it could also just be his fantasy. Without him taking a substantial step towards making it happen, i.e. real plans of time/place, not just a list of people he hates, I don't know if there's a case there. It's not like he opened fire on a bunch of Congressmen at a baseball practice.

So anyway, if all that was discovered through the search warrant, again what did he do that justified the warrant? Like I said, I'm assuming the same as you, giving the govt. the benefit of a doubt at this point. But the coverage completely glosses over how/why the government got up in his business in the first place.


What white supremacist would dox a C list celebrity, and know that he's randomly going to go out during a Polar vortex at 2am? Who carries rope and bleach during a Polar vortex, in Chicago of all places?

Better question would be, what white supremacist would even watch Empire or know who Jussie was?
 
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Xzi

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I love how the very first thing you bring up in this topic are white supremacist terrorist in something completely off topic. You hardly even mention the guy first, before you try to change the subject to the white supremacist. Yes, we know they exist, but this topic isn't about them. Make your own damn thread about the terrorist white supremacist. This thread is about Jussie.
It's relevant because now Fox News will be bringing up the Jussie Smollett story to distract every time there's a new MAGA shooter/bomber. There's not much to say about the story that hasn't already been said, though, he deserves whatever punishment is coming for faking something so serious.
 

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It's relevant because now Fox News will be bringing up the Jussie Smollett story to distract every time there's a new MAGA shooter/bomber.
You mean now the media won't jump to conclusions, after something just comes out, and might have to do actual research? I guess this would have been nice a few weeks ago, when the media and celebrities jumped on that high school student who was evil, because he smirked!

Oh who am I kidding, this changes nothing, and they'll still jump to conclusions!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

If he did fake it, what a scumbag. We don't need this shit right now, or ever, really.
He did fake it. I'm surprised anyone believed it in the first place. The story is so laughably bad. But don't worry, if he gets charged for mailing fake white powder, he'll go to real scary jail, and meet some real white supremacist.
 
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