AceShowbiz - The Illinois Supreme Court has reversed the convictions of Jussie Smollett, the actor formerly known for his role on the television show "Empire." Smollett was previously convicted of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021, but the high court ruled on Thursday, November 21 that his rights were violated in the pursuit of charges after the Cook County State's Attorney initially dropped them.

Smollett had claimed that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack near his Streeterville apartment in Chicago in January 2019. After an investigation, detectives accused Smollett of staging the attack with two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, who testified that Smollett paid them to participate.

Prosecutors pursued charges against Smollett, but the Cook County State's Attorney's Office later dropped them in exchange for Smollett forfeiting his bond and performing community service. However, a special prosecutor was later appointed to reinvestigate the case and brought a new indictment against Smollett.

Smollett's attorneys argued that the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment prohibited the state from pursuing charges after the original charges were dismissed. The Illinois Supreme Court agreed, holding that "a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation."

The court acknowledged the high-profile nature of the case but emphasized that "what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the State was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied."

Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. In a September 2023 interview with PEOPLE, he expressed disbelief and confusion about the allegations, saying, "I didn't know how to connect the dots. I couldn't make sense of what was going on."