Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: How “the Rob Karr of his day” stopped the progressive income tax
Next Post: Shaw wants “responsible budgeting, spending and cost-cutting” before tax hike on upper incomes
Posted in:
* Sun-Times…
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin on Wednesday called on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to review the handling of Jussie Smollett’s case, saying the decision to drop all the charges sets a “dangerous precedent for high profile cases.”
A former prosecutor himself, Durkin argued that the surprise move to abandon the prosecution of Smollett raises questions about the “integrity” of the Cook County State’s Attorney Office. […]
“As a former Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, I am concerned about the integrity of this investigation and of the office,” Durkin said in the letter e-mailed to Raoul and hand-delivered to his office. “This case has shed a negative light onto an office that I had the privilege to work in for many years. For someone to falsify a hate crime and to be ‘let off the hook’ is not only unfair but sets a dangerous precedent for high profile cases.” […]
“The Cook County State’s Attorney has primary criminal jurisdiction over criminal matters in Cook County and has discretion in how it handles criminal cases,” the statement [from the attorney general’s office] said. “Cook County chose to exercise its jurisdiction in this case and as a result, the Attorney General’s office had no role in this prosecution. The Attorney General’s office investigates matters of public integrity based on specific and credible allegations.”
And until somebody comes up with a “specific and credible allegation,” there’s not much he can do on his own.
* Also…
President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the US Department of Justice and FBI will look into the Jussie Smollett case in Chicago, after local prosecutors dropped charges against the Empire actor for allegedly filing a false police report in a hate crime hoax. […]
It’s unclear how or if the FBI and Justice Department will get involved. Federal investigators were already on part of the case, looking into a threatening letter Smollett allegedly mailed to himself.
Again, they’ll have to look for some sort of a crime. And as I told subscribers today, the only likely crime here is one against basic common sense, which isn’t actually in the statutes.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:44 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: How “the Rob Karr of his day” stopped the progressive income tax
Next Post: Shaw wants “responsible budgeting, spending and cost-cutting” before tax hike on upper incomes
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Only likely crime here is one against basic common sense, which isn’t actually in the statutes.
Might be so but why don’t you try doing the same thing. Do you think the end result will be the same for you?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:47 am
As a Chicago (Streeterville) resident, I am annouyed by the SA’s actions.
The actions will be remembered when she’s next on the ballot.
But the President giving an opinion? The AG investigating?
Are they going to do it every time charges are dropped, when it looks like a conviction could have been obtained.
This is now becoming a farce on all sides.
Comment by Gooner Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:49 am
The irony of Trump calling for the FBI and DOJ investigations. I thought deep state people are the corrupt swamp that needs to be drained.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:51 am
I need a cartoon of the Cook County Democratic Machine and i needed it yesterday.
Comment by Almost the weekend Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:53 am
Kim better start looking for another line of work.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:53 am
I wonder what’s different about *this* rich guy catching a break in our criminal justice system that everyone’s up in arms…
Comment by ChicagoVinny Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:53 am
“Cook County Democratic Machine”… I get conspiracies are fun, but my money is on Cook County just saying he’s not worth the time, money, or bad press from a drawn out trial. Second most likely is there was a problem with the case we are unaware of. And Johnson certainly didn’t help much with his multiple press conferences/interviews.
At least with the info we have right now, it’s hard to realistically say someone pulled strings.
Comment by Perrid Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 9:57 am
if we are to believe the CC State’s Attorney, she equates a low level drug felony with Jussie’s arranging his own beating, for pay, lying to cops, resulting in the expenditure of over $100,000 and taking time from other work. we know this because she said it and because she actually had to memo her office looking for similar crimes. she is a danger to the public with her actions.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:03 am
Perrid,
I meant machine as in reference to Preckwinkle, Foxx, and Burke. Not some crazy conspiracy, I agree it is just complete incompetence and horrible leadership by attorney’s office.
If I’m Lightfoot, I just blast 30 second commercials of Preckwinkle endorsing Foxx.
Comment by Almost the weekend Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:07 am
Isn’t funny how the AG was willing to get involved in the sentence of a police officer weeks ago but in this case claims there is no reason. What a joke
Comment by AmusedIs Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:10 am
The “Fixx” was in. Hopefully, she’ll be out before long. But maybe Kwame’s statement should include, “….I didn’t ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business”. Who gave the order?
Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:18 am
AmusedIs, if you want to give an example of how the State’s attorney’s decision violated both statutory law and supreme court precedent, as was the case with the Judge in Van Dyke’s sentencing, feel free to provide it. Otherwise, the situations are quite a bit different.
Comment by Juice Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:19 am
Anyone who voted for Alvarez is saying “See, I told you so.”
Foxx was minimally qualified for her elected office with a thin career resume’ as an assistant prosecutor and implicated in campaign financial disclosure violations before being elected. Did anyone really think that she was going to do better once she was sworn in? She even signed off on hiring Burke’s son while at Cook County.
Comment by Practical Politics Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:20 am
–Kim better start looking for another line of work.–
Maybe. But you can’t beat somebody with nobody.
If Republicans can’t get behind a former prosecutor/lawyer to challenge Foxx, a la Jack O’Malley, then we’ll know for sure they’ve given up and are content with minority status.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:22 am
Can we just not waste any more time and energy on this ridiculous affair? Just get the investigation file unlocked and if anyone wants to take a look they can do it on their own time.
Comment by NoGifts Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:23 am
Hasn’t been done this unqualified in the SA position since Rich Daley. Unfortunately Preckwinkle by giving us Kim Foxx has made Chicago a joke which we didn’t need. Asking our AG to investigate would only lead to another white wash. Here is hoping the Feds find that Foxx committed official misconduct with her emails and or phone calls
Comment by Sue Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:38 am
==If Republicans can’t get behind a former prosecutor/lawyer to challenge Foxx, a la Jack O’Malley, then we’ll know for sure they’ve given up and are content with minority status.==
They are the minority. They always will be. Democrats won, and they own Illinois’s future. It’s not very exciting, but it is what it is.
Comment by Chris Widger Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:45 am
Grandson of Man
They are the swamp. But if the swamp busies itself with investigations of some people, shouldn’t they be put to task on cases like this too?
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:47 am
Juiced, get real. It’s all about protecting the liberal narrative and not seeing how this was a back room deal.
Comment by Amused Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:48 am
Kim Foxx’s “A Commitment to Transparency”
https://www.cookcountystatesattorney.org/about/commitment-transparency
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:51 am
No evidence of crime? Are u kidding? 3 yrs on Russion collusion hoax w/ truly no evidence was fine though. U wingdings r hilarious.
Comment by GOPgal Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 11:08 am
maybe Jerry Joyce runs against Foxx in the Democratic primary. Or Bob Fioretti.
Comment by Ravenswood Right Winger Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 11:26 am
http://www.cwbchicago.com/2019/03/exclusive-chicago-police-departments.html
Link to Chicago Police Department’s sixty pages of reports.
Comment by Rigby Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 11:34 am
Jerry Joyce would be a great option.
Comment by Retired and staying Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 11:56 am
You beat me to it. Jerry Joyce might as well announce after Mayoral race next week. Republicans shouldn’t even bother. Joyce will roll Foxx in primary and it will be over.
Comment by Eire17 Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:09 pm
–Jerry Joyce might as well announce after Mayoral race next week. Republicans shouldn’t even bother.–
Who says Joyce would run as a Dem? He could probably win a GOP primary just with the 19th Ward, and that would get him to a November one-on-one matchup.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:15 pm
Cook GOP candidate would be irrelevant. Foxx is gonna get primaried big time, and close enough in time that people won’t forget.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:19 pm
Prosecutors don’t prosecute every crime, even if they know for sure it was committed. They save their resources for more important, serious, violent, crimes with real victims. Perhaps the CPD could learn something from this, and maybe they wouldn’t have spent all this time and money running down a fake 911 call, and maybe they’d have a better than 15% murder clearance rate.
Comment by lincoln's beard Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:30 pm
This isn’t so much about another ridiculous Hollywood scandal as it is about incompetence/favoritism in in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:48 pm
What a joke. I questioned Foxx when she first ran, but this proves she’s a hack. I bet Jerry Joyce primaries her and wins.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 12:52 pm
It’s true prosecutors don’t prosecute every crime. The trial would come down to who’s version of events was true, the Osundarios’ or Smollett’s. You wouldn’t be able to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the Osundarios were telling the truth. Magat knew this case was a dud and acted appropriately.
Raoul can review things if he wants. I doubt he is going to find any laws being broken.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 1:12 pm
Hey leave Kwame out of it. You will just confuse him.
Comment by Touré's Latte Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 3:49 pm
@Practical Politics, Kim Foxx did not have an active law license when she started running for State’s Attorney. (insert exclamation points here) Given that she now says she did not formally recuse herself, I guess she really missed taking classes during her stay of license because she clearly does not get ethics.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 3:57 pm
I’m going to guess what happened. Geragos had the Jussie case. The blond attorney who is on tv lots is from LA and Garagos’ firm. they looked around for a local to do the heavy lifting. they spied someone cushy with the SAO, Pat Brown Holmes, who just did their work as the special prosecutor on the three cops in the LMcDonald case. Pat is two years older than Magats. they probably not only worked together, but maybe she was a Sup for him on a Felony Review team or in a courtroom with him, or maybe just got to know him via the Special pros thing. She’s smart. He’s meh. He thought it was clear what the agreement was. she had his number. And here we are.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 4:10 pm
You don’t get it. Smallett continues to claim he is a victim of a horrible hate crime committed by white attackers wearing MAGA hats and yellin this is MAGA country. The attackers are still out there. The crime is still very real according to him. He would never be involved in this hoax. This “hate crime” needs to be investigated to the fullest. How can the AG not involve himself in this and find these charges by Smollett are real and need further investigation by his office and the Feds. The attackers need to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest. Right?
Comment by proudstatetrooper Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 5:27 pm
=== - proudstatetrooper - Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 5:27 pm:
Right? ===
Exactly right.
Comment by Cadillac Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 7:18 pm
I’m guessing there were a lot of “buffers” between Foxx and whoever it was in that Ivory Tower who requested the case be dropped. But it needs to be investigated nonetheless. Per Dennis Miller on Twitter, “Rahm Emanuel is an infinitely better actor than Jusse Smollett”
Comment by Stuntman Bob's Brother Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 10:22 pm
–I’m guessing there were a lot of “buffers” between Foxx and whoever it was in that Ivory Tower who requested the case be dropped. But it needs to be investigated nonetheless. Per Dennis Miller on Twitter, “Rahm Emanuel is an infinitely better actor than Jusse Smollett”–
What are you and the great, great, at there must be something, Dennis Miller trying to say?
Just be direct.
Who are the buffers in the Ivory Tower, cha-cha, and I am out of here…
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Mar 28, 19 @ 11:06 pm
paratrooper, the attackers were the Osundarios. Try to keep up.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 29, 19 @ 5:15 am
paratrooper the police report on the Jan. 29th attack did not have Smollett mention whites. It says the masks concealed facial features.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5726083-Jussie-Smollett-police-report.html
Comment by 17% Solution Friday, Mar 29, 19 @ 1:55 pm