After Jussie Smollett verdict, more court cases await

By SARA BURNETT
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The jury’s guilty verdict that Jussie Smollett faked a racist and homophobic attack isn’t the end of legal proceedings for the former “Empire” actor or others. Several lawsuits have been on hold pending the outcome of the criminal charges. A jury on Thursday convicted Smollett on five counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police, though Smollett has maintained his innocence and his attorney says he will appeal. The pending cases include a lawsuit the city of Chicago filed against Smollett to recoup over $130,000 it spent investigating what prosecutors called a fake hate crime. In another lawsuit, two brothers who testified that Smollett recruited them for the fake attack are suing attorneys who represented him for defamation.