Latest news with #ex-Chicago
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Jussie Smollett calls Chicago PD and Rahm Emanuel 'villains' while denying hate crime hoax
Actor Jussie Smollett on Wednesday offered fresh criticism of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the city's former mayor, Rahm Emanuel, calling them 'villains' for their role in his conviction over an alleged hate crime hoax. Smollett, who is Black and gay, originally reported to Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks in January 2019. Advertisement He was convicted in 2021 of staging the hate crime himself, but it was later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on due process grounds, ruling that Smollett had originally reached an agreement with the state to avoid prosecution. The court did not rule on the actor's guilt or innocence in the case. 'The villains are the two people who assaulted me, the Chicago Police Department and, if I may be so brave, the mayor,' Smollett told Variety, referencing Emanuel, who served as the mayor of Chicago from 2011 to 2019. According to Variety, the former 'Empire' star alleged that the 'Chicago establishment' conspired to frame him and questioned whether Emanuel played a part in covering up evidence in the police killing of a Black teenager in Chicago — a case that led a federal judge to order the CPD to adopt dozens of reforms just two days after Smollett reported being attacked. Advertisement 'Could it be that they had just found out about the missing minutes and the missing tape from the murder of Laquan McDonald? Could it be that the mayor helped hide that?' Smollett asked, referencing the police killing of teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014. 'We're living in a world where the higher-ups, their main mission, in order to do all of the underhanded things that they're doing, is to distract us with the shiny object.' 3 Jussie Smollett criticized the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and ex-Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, depicting them as 'villains' for their role in convicting the actor in his alleged hate crime hoax. Getty Images Fox News Digital reached out to the CPD and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for comment but did not immediately receive responses. Emanuel declined comment to Variety. Advertisement Variety reported that Smollett became 'worked up' as he maintained his original story, that he was attacked by two masked MAGA supporters who shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him before placing a noose around his neck and pouring bleach on him. While he refrained from criticizing the two brothers who claimed to have helped the actor stage the hate crime hoax, Smollett contended that he is the only person involved with the case whose story hasn't changed multiple times. 3 The Illinois Supreme Court later overturned Smollett's conviction. Getty Images 'All I can say is, God bless you, and I hope it was worth it,' he told the outlet in reference to the brothers. Advertisement 'Every single other person's story has changed multiple times. Mine has never. I have nothing to gain from this.' In reference to an upcoming documentary by Netflix titled 'The Truth About Jussie Smollett?' — which hints that the actor may be innocent after all — Variety asked Smollett why the 'exculpatory evidence' of his innocence didn't emerge sooner. 3 An upcoming Netflix documentary titled 'The Truth About Jussie Smollett?' is set to be released next week. jetcityimage – 'To be honest with you, I don't really know,' he told the outlet. 'I'm not an investigative reporter or a detective. I can't sit and tell you exactly, beat by beat, what happened. I can only tell you what did not happen. And what did not happen is the story that's been out there for almost seven years, that somehow I would have even a reason to do something as egregious as this.' Smollett also described how he felt once the CPD shifted its focus from investigating the alleged hate crime to investigating, and eventually arresting, the actor himself. The former 'Empire' star likened his experience to that of the late 'King of Pop,' Michael Jackson, who faced multiple sexual abuse allegations and police investigations before and after his eventual death, which Smollett suggested were part of a broader conspiracy. Advertisement 'I saw firsthand how narratives are built. I saw firsthand the way that someone can take the exact opposite of who you are and literally sell it,' he told the outlet. 'And people will be like, 'I believe it!' God rest his soul, but homeboy Michael Jackson tried to warn us.' Smollett reached a settlement with the City of Chicago in May, agreeing to donate $50,000 to charity as part of the agreement to have a lawsuit against him dismissed.
International Business Times
28-05-2025
- International Business Times
Ex-Chicago Police Officer Admits to Fatally Shooting Husband Following Argument Over Her Affair
An ex-Chicago police officer has pleaded guilty to shooting her husband, a fellow cop, over three years ago, but will only spend about a week in prison. As reported by WBEZ, as part of her plea deal agreed on Tuesday, Jacqueline Villasenor agreed to a sentence of more than six years. However, with Illinois' day-for-day sentencing law and credit for the years she spent on electronic monitoring awaiting trial, Jacqueline Villasenor is expected to serve only about seven days in the Illinois Department of Corrections, plus a year of supervised release, according to her attorney. Villasenor and Her Husband were Arguing Over a Previous Affair She Had and a Struggle Ensued, Leading to Him Getting Shot On Nov. 2, 2021, Jacqueline Villasenor and her husband, fellow Chicago police officer German Villasenor, were inside their Northwest Side home, arguing over a previous affair she'd had, when she pulled out her gun and threatened to kill herself, according to prosecutors. While struggling over the weapon, it fired, striking German Villasenor in his chest. Their then-16-year-old son heard the gunshot and went to his parents' bedroom, where he found his father lying on his back and his mother performing CPR, prosecutors said. Jacqueline was Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter Jacqueline Villasenor was charged with involuntary manslaughter. She resigned from the Chicago Police Department in December 2022. "She admitted that what she did was, in fact, a crime," her attorney Tim Grace said Tuesday. "It's a very triable case, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted to accept responsibility. She didn't want to put her family through it." In statements submitted to the court earlier this year, the couple's son and daughter asked the judge not to sentence their mother to time in prison for what they saw as an unfortunate accident. "I don't want to lose both my parents," the son wrote in a statement. Two of German Villasenor's siblings also wrote letters in support of Jacqueline Villasenor, asking that the children not suffer any further by having their mother taken away. "They have given the hardest gift of all. ...They've given forgiveness," Grace, her attorney, said in court Tuesday. 'There is No Punishment Worse Than the Punishment I Give Myself Every Day' Fighting through tears, Jacqueline Villasenor told Judge Arthur Wesley Willis Tuesday, "There is no punishment worse than the punishment I give myself every day." "Although the kids love and support me, I still see him in them every day, which makes it hard to know he's not here," Jacqueline Villasenor said before she was taken into custody. "We miss him every day." German Villasenor's parents, on the other hand, called for Jacqueline Villasenor to be punished, claiming this incident was no accident.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court sides with ex-Chicago alderperson in corruption conviction appeal
The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a Chicago political scion in his criminal appeal Friday, agreeing an anti-corruption law barring lying to regulators only covers false statements, not misleading ones. Patrick Daley Thompson, a member of Chicago's most famous political dynasty, was convicted in 2022 of lying to regulators about the amount he borrowed from a now-defunct bank and already served a four-month sentence. In a unanimous opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices sent the case back to a lower court for another look at Thompson's charges, since he argues his statements were merely misleading. 'In casual conversation, people use many overlapping words to describe shady statements: false, misleading, dishonest, deceptive, literally true, and more. Only one of those words appears in the statute,' Roberts wrote. 'Section 1014 does not criminalize statements that are misleading but true. Under the statute, it is not enough that a statement is misleading. It must be 'false,'' he continued. The anti-corruption law Thompson was convicted of violating bars making false statements to influence certain government agencies and financial institutions. He also was convicted on tax charges that remain in place and weren't at issue before the high court. The ex-Chicago alderman's legal troubles stemmed from his insistence to a loan servicer's customer service line that he borrowed $110,000 — not the more than $269,000, including interest, the servicer claimed he owed. However, the former alderman neglected to mention two other loans, totaling $109,000. He settled the debt with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation by agreeing to pay the principal balance of $219,000 but not the interest and was later charged with violating the anti-corruption law. In concurring opinions, Justices Samuel Alito and Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the instructions Thompson's jury received only indicated that false, not misleading, statements should be weighed, meaning the jury was properly instructed. 'Thus, in my view, there is little for the Seventh Circuit to do on remand but affirm the District Court's judgment upholding the jury's guilty verdict,' Jackson wrote. 'Whether Thompson's statements were, in fact, false is a question for the jury— and here, one the jury has already answered.' The justices' decision marks the second case in as many years where the Supreme Court found federal prosecutors overstepped while cracking down on local politicians. Last summer, they narrowed the scope of what can be considered an illegal gratuity to a government official in a case involving former Portage, Ind., Mayor James Snyder (R). Snyder in 2014 received a $13,000 check for consulting services from a garbage truck company after the town awarded lucrative contracts to the company the year before. That ruling was expected to make it tougher to prosecute public officials for accepting bribes. Updated at 10:59 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
18 people sick after mini pastries sold in Florida recalled for salmonella outbreak
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)— Mini pastries sold in Florida made 18 people sick after an outbreak of salmonella, the FDA announced. The Sweet Cream-brand mini pastries with best-by dates from June 17 through Nov. 15, 2025, have been recalled. These mini pastries were distributed in Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Pennslyvania to food service locations like hotel cafes, bakeries, institutions, and restaurants. Supreme Court sides with ex-Chicago alderman in corruption conviction appeal LIVE: Tampa leaders announce millions in hurricane relief Northern California explored in 'Off Road Confidential' According to the FDA, as of March 14, 18 people were infected with the salmonella outbreak from seven states. One person has been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Salmonella symptoms usually occur within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that has been contaminated and the symptoms usually last four to seven days, the FDA said. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Customers who have received the recalled product have been notified, according to the FDA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Judge delays ruling on wrongful conviction case involving disgraced ex-CPD detective
CHICAGO (WGN) — A man fighting his alleged wrongful conviction must wait a few more days to learn if a Cook County judge will clear his name. Attorneys for Tyrece Williams, who spent 20 years in prison, allege disgraced ex-Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara framed him. But the judge said Monday that she would need more time to review the case files, postponing her decision until next month WGN INVESTIGATES: The Chicago Tribune reports that if the judge rules in Williams' favor, the now-57-year-old would become the 50th person to have an overturned murder conviction in a case investigated by Guevara. The city has paid more than $100 million to defend, investigate, and settle misconduct claims involving Guevara, who allegedly falsified evidence to frame defendants. Despite the delay, Josh Tepfer, an attorney for Williams, says he remains optimistic. 'I've been doing this a long time and it's important to give the judge the time they need,' Tepfer said. 'These are important cases. It's certainly hard on the clients and their families but its part of the job to assure them this is part of the process and it happens.' Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The judge set a new ruling date for Tuesday, March 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
