Jussie Smollett's Prospective Juror Dismissed After Admitting She Could Not Be Fair On The 'Hate Crime,' Revealed Her Daughter Is Gay
Nov. 29 2021, Published 8:22 p.m. ET
Cook County Judge James Lin has selected candidates to be on the jury for the trial of Jussie Smollett, who is accused of reporting a fake crime to the police claiming he was attacked by Trump supporters in downtown Chicago in 2019.
According to reports, six of the 57 potential jurors that crowded the courtroom were seated, while ten others were dismissed around 3 PM today.
Among the selected jurors included a woman who claims she's watched the show Empire starring Smollett and likes to drag race during her spare time, an immigrant who moved to the US from Iraq 12 years ago and is currently works for a credit union, and a man from Canada who serves as a store manager.
The other jurors included a woman from west suburban Bartlett who works as a counselor at a behavioral hospital, a man from Lincoln Park who appears to be in his 30s and works in the health care information field, and a salesman who appeared to be his in '60s.
The judge ruled evidence might be allowed to be presented until 7 PM before taking a break for the day.
However, during the panel's selection process, one white woman confessed she might not be able to be fair on trial due to her early investigation of the case.
"When I found out it was a hate crime, my daughter is gay, so I did some research on that," the woman explained. "She works in the downtown area, so I was very concerned for her safety and what was going on."
The judge followed up by asking if she could set aside her personal opinion to provide a fair verdict, but she responded she was still unsure. She was later dismissed from the trial.