Prosecutors begin calling witnesses on second day of actor Jussie Smollett’s trial for reporting allegedly bogus hate crime
CHICAGO — One of the lead Chicago police detectives assigned to investigate the alleged hate-crime attack on Jussie Smollett took the stand Tuesday morning in Smollett’s trial, walking jurors step by step through the investigation that turned Smollett from victim to suspect.
Smollett, previously best known for his role on “Empire,” became a magnet for international controversy after he was accused of orchestrating a phony racist and homophobic attack on himself in 2019. He faces six counts of making false reports to police, a minor felony.
Chicago police Det. Michael Theis insisted that the investigation was thorough and meticulous, countering the defense’s
