The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of actor Jussie Smollett, ruling that his second prosecution violated due process.

Smollett had been convicted in 2021 for falsely reporting a 2019 hate crime, which he staged by paying two brothers to carry out the attack.

His original charges were dropped in 2019 as part of an agreement, but a special prosecutor later refiled charges, leading to his conviction.

The court ruled that bringing a second prosecution after the dismissal violated Smollett’s constitutional rights, WGN has reported.

Smollett’s legal team celebrated the decision, while special prosecutor Dan Webb disagreed with the ruling.

Written by B.C. Begley