Jury deliberates Jussie Smollett’s fate in alleged fake hate crime case

The lawyers' closing arguments capped just over one week of testimony in the case against the former ``Empire'' actor over allegations he faked an attack on him in 2019.

A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday there is “overwhelming evidence” that Jussie Smollett lied to Chicago police about being the victim of an anti-gay, racist hate crime, while a defense attorney called the case a “house of cards” built on testimony from two liars.

The lawyers’ closing arguments capped just over one week of testimony in the case against the former “Empire” actor. The jury deliberated for about two hours Wednesday but broke for the day without reaching a verdict. They are expected to resume deliberations Thursday.

In his closing, special prosecutor Dan Webb said Smollett caused Chicago police to spend enormous resources investigating an alleged crime that they now believe is fake. Smollett, who is Black and gay, told police someone put a noose around his neck and yelled racist and homophobic slurs during the January 2019 attack near his downtown Chicago home.

“Besides being against the law, it is just plain wrong to outright denigrate something as serious as a real hate crime and then make sure it involved words and symbols that have such historical significance in our country,” Webb said.

He also accused Smollett of lying to jurors, saying surveillance video from before the alleged attack and that night contradicts key moments of Smollett’s testimony.

“At the end of the day, he lacks any credibility whatsoever,” Webb said.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said in his closing argument that two brothers who testified that Smollett orchestrated the attack and paid them to carry it out are “sophisticated liars” out for money.

“The entire prosecution’s case, including the foundation of the case, is built like a house of cards,” Uche said.