Will Smollett Claim TDS As A Defense?

 

As of this morning, actor Jussie Smollett is under arrest for filing a fake police report in connection to the “attack” that took place last month. According to the two men who perpetrated it, he paid each $4,000 in order to carry it out.

That might not be the end of the charges, with federal ones perhaps not far behind thanks to a letter Smollett may have sent to himself containing a threat and white powder that elicited a HAZMAT response,

Things are… not looking good for Smollett; and just for the felony charge, he could be facing up to three years in prison. And his lawyers are surely coming up with some sort of defense, and hopefully, it’s a bit more nuanced than “he’s totally innocent and had nothing whatsoever to do with this attack,”

What kind of defense for these premeditated actions could Smollett possibly offer? This alleged crime is more disturbing than ‘just’ filing a false police report.

He was okay with two innocent men going to prison and wasted valuable resources in a city without any to spare.

His chance to check himself into a clinic of some sort has passed now that he’s in custody. So, might he be the first person to try to put up an insanity plea on the basis of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome)?

 

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  1. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    In a comment in another post, I speculated he will try the “I was trying to raise awareness”.

    The reality is he’s in deep doodoo, and his only prayer is to get one or more sympathetic jurors on his side as a gay man who wouldn’t stand a chance in prison.  I’m betting he gets a hung jury . . .

    • #1
  2. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    John Kass, the brilliant columnist for the Chicago Tribune reports this morning that CPD had, according to his sources, at least 20 detectives assigned to the Smollett case, and this from a city who has a murder case clearance rate of 17%.

    Right now there are children on life support, or on the coroner’s table, due to that city’s crime problem and Rahm “No Crisis Goes to Waste” Emmanuel has 20 detectives on a non-existent “hate” crime!*

    *I shouldn’t comment while on the phone. I would have realized that was in the OP. My badness.

    • #2
  3. Penfold Member
    Penfold
    @Penfold

    <sarc on> But it “could” have happened because the US is a racist homophobic culture that must be punished.  So this should be taken seriously and we should have a “National Conversation” about it.  <sarc off> 

    • #3
  4. DonG Coolidge
    DonG
    @DonG

    It takes just 1 person on the jury to let him free.  The prosecution will be scared, despite all the video evidence and cash payments.  I bet he takes a deal for community service and no felony.  Now about that letter he may have mailed–the Feds will not be so easy, if they have a case.

    • #4
  5. Nick H Coolidge
    Nick H
    @NickH

    One tiny little violin playing a sympathy song for Jussie… oops. It was too small and I broke it. Oh well. I’d never heard of Smollett before this and God willing I won’t hear any more of him after this farce is over.

    • #5
  6. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    Penfold (View Comment):

    <sarc on> But it “could” have happened because the US is a racist homophobic culture that must be punished. So this should be taken seriously and we should have a “National Conversation” about it. <sarc off>

    So “fake but accurate”?

    • #6
  7. Jeff Hawkins Inactive
    Jeff Hawkins
    @JeffHawkins

    PTSD, tied into being black and gay, some childhood trauma, and Republicans all wrapped up into one.  All of which will be used as a cudgel against the right, who are “seizing” the opportunity to hurt the mentally ill by asking for prison time.

    Don Lemon will lament that he needs mental health and the narrative will be the viciousness of the right.

    • #7
  8. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    The presumption of innocence only applies to the jury selected for the trial. The media does have some responsibility to publish facts. Motive will be the next discussion from all the armchair psychiatrists, those who are “woke”, and the virtue merchants. The presumption of innocence has a place in our society as a warning that the court has the responsibility to seek justice, not citizens who may decide to mete out justice without a trial.

    The politicization of law enforcement, and the States Attorneys office in Chicago bears a lot of the blame for the high rate of unsolved shootings, and homicides in Chicago. The “snitches get stitches” culture also plays a part in turning some Chicago neighborhoods into a war zone.

    Mr. Smollett did not help Chicago by diverting police resources to investigate a crime that was a hoax. My take on his motive is that he’s no more than a self-absorbed and entitled idiot that assumed he was the smartest person in the room. He found out the hard way Chicago Police detectives were far smarter than he was, and far smarter than his supporters. Only a fool has to learn all life’s lessons through direct experience, Mr. Smollett is a fool.

    • #8
  9. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    DonG (View Comment):
    It takes just 1 person on the jury to let him free. The prosecution will be scared, despite all the video evidence and cash payments. I bet he takes a deal for community service and no felony.

    So true – only one juror needed.

    However, I can see a hefty fine added to his community service if he is convicted . . .

    • #9
  10. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    This case me reminds me of the runaway bride case in 2005. Personally, in her case, I was glad that the sentences were reduced because I thought she was ill, and she did not actually accuse anyone specifically of kidnapping her. She stopped short of sending people to prison for crimes they didn’t commit, which, to me, was the worst part of Smollett’s actions. But these were her crimes and sentences:

     

    The runaway bride case was the case of Jennifer Carol Wilbanks (born March 1, 1973), an American woman who ran away from home on April 26, 2005, in order to avoid her wedding with John Mason, her fiancé, on April 30. Her disappearance from Duluth, Georgia, sparked a nationwide search and intensive media coverage, including some media speculation that Mason had killed her. On April 29, Wilbanks called Mason from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and falsely claimed that she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a Hispanic man and a white woman.

    Wilbanks repeated the false claims that fell apart under FBI interrogation resulting in a felony indictment of providing false information to law enforcement, a charge that could have resulted in up to five years of imprisonment. On June 2, 2005, Wilbanks pleaded no contest to this charge. As part of her plea bargain, she was sentenced to two years of probation and 120 hours of community service, and she was also ordered to pay $2,250 in restitution to the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department. As part of the plea bargain, a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report was dismissed. Wilbanks’s criminal record was expunged after she successfully completed her period of probation.

    In Smollett’s case, we don’t know how far he would have gone in accusing two complete strangers of harming him, and I’m sure his defense would give that fact a lot of play in any trial there is. They are going to say, “We don’t know what he would have done in actuality,” which of course is a fair point. 

     

     

    • #10
  11. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy got a deal with Nike.

    I can see it now: Jussie and Colin together, lamenting about how racist this country is . . .

    • #11
  12. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    On a related note, a guest on Tucker Carlson a day or two ago was asked why there were so many ‘hate crime’ hoaxes?

    His memorable reply: In today’s America, he opined, the demand for bigots greatly exceeds the supply. 

    Heh.

     

    • #12
  13. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    I don’t think the arrest will stop him in pursuit of his ultimate goal, victimhood.

    I am sure we will be hearing things like “desperate cry for help” and “he needs help, not jail.” Personally, I don’t see much point in jail for him, but if the city can compute the total cost spent on this charade, I would multiply that amount by 20 and I think you would have a fair financial penalty.

    • #13
  14. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Penfold (View Comment):

    <sarc on> But it “could” have happened because the US is a racist homophobic culture that must be punished. So this should be taken seriously and we should have a “National Conversation” about it. <sarc off>

    Yeah, I mean this stuff happens all the time  . . . OK it never happens, but it could because  . . . Trump and . . .something

    • #14
  15. WI Con Member
    WI Con
    @WICon

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    I don’t think the arrest will stop him in pursuit of his ultimate goal, victimhood.

    I am sure we will be hearing things like “desperate cry for help” and “he needs help, not jail.” Personally, I don’t see much point in jail for him, but if the city can compute the total cost spent on this charade, I would multiply that amount by 20 and I think you would have a fair financial penalty.

    L

    • #15
  16. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Bethany Mandel:

    He was okay with two innocent [white] men going to prison and wasted valuable resources in a city without any to spare.

    This is so malicious, I hope he gets charged with a federal hate crime. We will know equality before the law is real when black, gay leftists are prosecuted and punished the same way a white, heterosexual, conservative would be under the same circumstances. 

     

    • #16
  17. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    His defense is temporary insanity.  Why else would he pay with a check?  That’s Loony Tunes.  :)

    • #17
  18. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    JustmeinAZ (View Comment):

    Penfold (View Comment):

    <sarc on> But it “could” have happened because the US is a racist homophobic culture that must be punished. So this should be taken seriously and we should have a “National Conversation” about it. <sarc off>

    So “fake but accurate”?

    I was thinking that too.  He’s a younger more progressive version of Dan Rather.  Cutting his career off early for the same reasons.

    • #18
  19. Ray Kujawa Coolidge
    Ray Kujawa
    @RayKujawa

    ‘Who’s the bigger victim?’ — might it be that the two halves of Jussie’s victim — the gay and the black side — had to have it out, and this led to the idea to akshually punish hisself — but do it in a somewhat safe way hiring two associates. Thus, Jussie is guilty of conspiring to commit assault and on a minority, which becomes a hate crime, against himself. Not TDS, I think this is an almost inevitable result of the schizophrenia that ensues from the intersection of identity politics and too-big heard.

    • #19
  20. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    What did he write on the memo line of the check?

    For: “Sound thrashing / rope / hood.”

    • #20
  21. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Bethany Mandel: According to the two men who perpetrated it, he paid each $4,000 in order to carry it out.

    I don’t know about ya’ll, but – If some person comes to me seeking help in augmenting their already 6 figure salary, I’m probably gonna need low 5 figures to make that happen.

    Illegality ought to cost another order of magnitude.

    $4000 is right out.

    (revised from this comment on another thread)

     

    • #21
  22. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Ray Kujawa (View Comment):

    ‘Who’s the bigger victim?’ — might it be that the two halves of Jussie’s victim — the gay and the black side — had to have it out, and this led to the idea to akshually punish hisself — but do it in a somewhat safe way hiring two associates. Thus, Jussie is guilty of conspiring to commit assault and on a minority, which becomes a hate crime, against himself. Not TDS, I think this is an almost inevitable result of the schizophrenia that ensues from the intersection of identity politics and too-big heard.

    Yeah, when you think about it, he really was trying to make blacks and homosexuals feel less secure.

    • #22
  23. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    Bethany,

    You are much too young to know the real reason for Smollett’s fraud. The Devil made him do it.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #23
  24. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Bethany Mandel: According to the two men who perpetrated it, he paid each $4,000 in order to carry it out.

    According to the bond proffer it was a single check for $3500. (They were to split it).

    Dude, $3500 won’t even cover the brother’s initial legal fees (much less guarantee their silence.)

    • #24
  25. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    I read somewhere that as of 2003, Gerragos charges $500 an hour. Gotta be more now. In the mid 90’s James Sinclair from NYPD Blue said,

    I charge $400 an hour for prep- time and depositions.
    $4000 for each day of trial.

    Smollett’s legal bills alone are gonna get close to 6 figures. That’s gonna hurt when Fox writes him out of the show.

    • #25
  26. DrewInWisconsin Member
    DrewInWisconsin
    @DrewInWisconsin

    https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1098397343588802560

    • #26
  27. JosePluma Coolidge
    JosePluma
    @JosePluma

    Flicker (View Comment):

    His defense is temporary insanity. Why else would he pay with a check? That’s Loony Tunes. :)

    No, just stupidity and arrogance.  Again:

    • #27
  28. Podkayne of Israel Inactive
    Podkayne of Israel
    @PodkayneofIsrael

    Why did he do it? I haven’t been this perplexed since Brittney Spears shaved her head!

    • #28
  29. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Podkayne of Israel (View Comment):

    Why did he do it? I haven’t been this perplexed since Brittney Spears shaved her head!

    Why did he do it? He’s a racist lefty “resist” activist. He wanted to hurt a) whites (he was willing to press charges when he thought the police had picked up two innocent white men), b) conservatives/Trump supporters, and c) Trump himself. Mr. C speculates he was setting himself up to star in the 2020 Democrat primary. He could’a been a kingmaker (queenmaker?). That seems plausible, unlike the rest of his story. We’re witnessing the end game of identity politics.

    This business about him wanting a salary increase is hooey. Just another underpaid black man. Uh huh. Is that what he told Chicago police? And why would anyone believe anything he says at this point? B.S. 

     

    • #29
  30. Weeping Inactive
    Weeping
    @Weeping

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
    This business about him wanting a salary increase is hooey. Just another underpaid black man. Uh huh. Is that what he told Chicago police? And why would anyone believe anything he says at this point? B.S. 

    Fair question. But I wouldn’t be so quick to call him wanting a salary increase hooey. Greed has many people wanting more salary wise – even when they’re already  getting what should be a comfortable one. 

    • #30
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