Court orders Jussie Smollett release from jail during appeal
CTV
Jussie Smollett was ordered released from jail Wednesday by an appeals court that agreed with his lawyers that he should be free pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to Chicago police about a racist and homophobic attack.
The decision came after a Cook County judge sentenced Smollett last week to immediately begin serving 150 days in jail for his conviction on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police.
In an outburst immediately after the sentence was handed down, the former star of the TV show "Empire" proclaimed his innocence and said "I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that."
The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000, meaning he doesn't have to put down money but agrees to come to court as required. It was unclear late Wednesday how soon he may be released.
Smollett's attorneys had argued that he would have completed the sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he remained locked up in Cook County Jail.
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