Jussie Smollett will be convicted of mounting a hate crime against himself on March 10 after his conviction for disorderly conduct, a Chicago judge said Thursday.
The disgraced actor virtually appeared for the morning’s Zoom hearing and did not speak, except when the judge asked him procedural questions.
It was Smollett’s first appearance since 12 jurors found him guilty of lying to police after his trial last December, where he took the stand in his own defense and repeatedly claimed he was a victim.
The 39-year-old, who wore a black hoodie during Thursday’s hearing, has steadfastly maintained his innocence, and his attorney Nenye Uche told The Post on Thursday they will appeal the conviction later this year.
Smollett has long claimed that two Trump-loving fanatics beat him up, doused him with bleach and put a makeshift noose around his neck on a frigid night in January 2019.
Two brothers who were friends with the actor testified against him at his trial, telling jurors that Smollett paid them to stage the attack because he wanted media attention.
Each count of the charges, which are considered minor felonies in Illinois, carry a prison term of up to three years, but it’s up to Judge James Linn whether Smollett gets any time at all. The judge will also determine whether the sentences for each count will be pronounced sequentially or simultaneously.
