Nothing to hide. Jussie Smollett’s legal team welcomed Cook County’s decision to allow cameras into the courtroom at his next appearance Thursday on criminal charges.
Judge LeRoy Martin Jr.said that whoever is names as presiding judge will ultimately decide if the hearing will be videotaped. Smollett, who is facing charges that he staged a phony hate crime against himself, appeared in court with his lawyers, two of his brothers and a sister-in-law. He was not required to appear, but did so “to show confidence in his innocence.”
“He will do everything he needs to do,” his rep, Anne Kavanagh said. “He will go the extra mile to cooperate with the process.”
During the hearing, Smollett's attorney Tina Glandian told the court she would welcome cameras to allow the public to “see the evidence and the lack thereof.”
“We welcome cameras in the courtroom so that the public and the media can see the actual evidence and what we believe is the lack of evidence against Mr. Smollett and we look forward to complete transparency and the truth coming out,” she said.
Smollett is free on $100,000 bond after being indicted on 16 charges of lying to police, who suspect he enlisted two other black men to help him stage a racist and homophobic attack on January 29th.