Jussie Smollett wants a new trial in Chicago or a not guilty verdict after he was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime against himself in 2019.
In documents obtained by NBC News, his attorneys accuse the court of making “numerous trial errors leading up to the trial and during the pendency of the trial.”
The Smollett’s defense team also said the evidence presented by prosecutors during the trial was “insufficient and inconsistent so that no reasonable trier of fact could have found Mr. Smollett guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and thus there is evidence that the jury verdict was contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence.”
JUSSIE SMOLLETT SPEAKS TO HIS FANS
“As such, the Defendant now respectfully requests that his convictions be vacated or in the alternative, that the Court grant the Defendant a new trial,” the filing says.
After the guilty verdict, his attorney Nenye Uche told reporters Smollett is “100% innocent,” and the team is confident “he’s going to be cleared of all, all accusations on all charges. The verdict is inconsistent,” he said. “You can’t say Jussie is lying and say Jussie is not lying for the same exact incident.”
