Dismissal of charges against Jussie Smollett shines harsh light on Cook County justice system
CHICAGO - It was just 12 words in a court hearing that lasted only a few minutes, but the fallout seems to have no end in sight.
"The state's motion in regards to the indictment is to nolle pros," a Cook County prosecutor said Tuesday, using the Latin legal term for "decline to prosecute" while dismissing all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.
The dismissal touched off a weeklong firestorm that heaped worldwide attention - and a good deal of scorn - on the Cook County criminal justice system.
Smollett had been accused in a 16-count felony indictment with staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself in downtown Chicago to further his career. Instead, with
