By Peter Szekely

(Reuters). Jussie Stullett was a Chicago-based actor who reported that he was the victim in a hate-motivated, street-attack. But police accused him later of orchestrating the whole thing to make a public spectacle.

On Monday, a jury was selected in Cook County Circuit Court to hear Smollett’s case on six counts of disorderly conduct. He is accused of false reporting to police. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, some of the legal proceedings have dragged out.

Smollett, 39, has denied that he faked the attack, pleading not guilty https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-jussie-smollett-idINKCN20I19I in February 2020.

Two masked men approached the gay actor in Black, claiming that they had accosted him at night on a street. Smollett claims that his attackers tied a necktie to him and then poured chemical substances on him, while shouting racist and homophobic remarks and supporting Donald Trump.

He was arrested by police a month later.

Smollett’s acting career is now in decline since that incident. Smollett lost his position as singer-songwriter on the last season of Empire, a Fox hip-hop drama which ended its five-year-old run in 2020.

The spring 2019 saw a surprising turn for his case when Cook County’s state’s attorneys dropped the 16-count Indictment against him. He was released from jail and the $10,000 bond was forfeited without any admission of wrongdoing.

This dismissal was criticized by Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, and the city’s chief police officer. They called it a “miscarriage” of justice. A Cook County judge appointed Dan Webb to the review, an ex-U.S. Attorney.

Webb, after an investigation lasting five months, ruled against the state’s attorneys office. He concluded that Smollett’s prosecution was justified. Webb then questioned the judgement of the prosecutors who dropped the original case.

Smollett’s current case has been delayed by legal issues and the pandemic.

Abimbola Osundairo (brother) and Olabinjo Osundairo (sister) are expected to testify in the trial. They were allegedly paid by Smollett, prosecutors claim, for participating in a phony assault. Smollett will not be required to testify for his own defence.