Jusse Smollett's Legal Team Official Defense Is: "Yeah, But Like...C'monnnn"
(SunTimes)–“We contend the city is wrong,” Quinlan said of the city’s assertion that Smollett should have known the city would spend nearly 2,000 hours investigating. “ … The mere fact somebody filed a police report doesn’t presume the investigation will be done and certainly not to the extent of what the city is claiming.
“Smollett has no control over that,” Quinlan added.
In the legal brief, obtained by Sneed, Smollett makes clear that he is not admitting he made false statements. “Mr. Smollett disputes any and all assertions that he made a false statement and was not a victim of a crime,” a footnote on the first page of the motion reads.
But even if he did, “The filing of a police report, in and of itself, does not necessitate a sprawling investigation nor does it, as a practical matter, usually result in an investigation as extensive as the one the CPD chose to undertake in this case,” the motion says.
“ … The City has failed to allege that Mr. Smollett was similarly ‘well aware’ that his statements to police would result in 1,836 hours of police overtime, or any other reasons why he should have known this would have been the case.”
This story has been dragged on so long now that Smollett’s lawyer’s entire defense is just like
“1836 hours of overtime? Like seriously? C’monnnnnn”
Basically the lawyer is saying that Smollett had no way to know that the police would…ya know…actually do their jobs investigating both a fake crime AND then the subsequent real crime of filing a fake police report. Smollett didn’t know this would be a big deal. Just wanted to casually file a fake police report about KKK guys in MAGA hats running around during the polar vortex at a Subway for the clout and sympathy. If he knew the police would actually take him seriously, maybe he wouldn’t have filed that report…if he did it. Smollett is still proclaiming his innocence, but his lawyer wants everyone to know that Smollett never could’ve known what would happen from filing a false report about a hate crime. Not his fault. Again. Nothing is, according to him.
I think everyone is ready for this entire story to go away. Time for the city to offer a settlement. Time for Smollett to admit guilt and publicly apologize. Do that and let’s move on. Punishment has been swift in a sense. Kicked off of his show and the butt of every joke. Career in jeopardy. If the Chicago Police wanted to make an example out of Smollett well…having a career destroyed is a pretty good deterrant to not be a complete lying asshole who wastes everyone’s time and effort.