"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on Monday filed a motion for a change in the verdict or a new trial.
The motion filing comes after Dec. 10, when a Cook County, Illinois, jury found Smollett guilty of five of six counts of disorderly conduct, the weight of which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
During the initial trial, prosecutors charged Smollett with staging a fake homophobic attack against himself as well as that of a hate crime in January 2019, and then lying to police about it.
But on Monday, according to CBS 2 Chicago, Smollett requested from a Chicago court, in his filing, that the jury's verdict be thrown out, absolving him of a guilty verdict, or instead grant him a new trial.
The new filing, which totals 103 pages, alleges the trial judge violated Smollett's Sixth Amendment rights because the court prevented the defense from "actively participating in jury selection."
Additionally, Smollett's lawyers also argue that the court denied the actor his right to a "public trial," stating that members of the media couldn't get into the courtroom during the trial.
During the initial incident, Smollett told police he was assaulted by Donald Trump supporters who poured bleach on him, placing a noose around his neck and telling him, "this is MAGA country."
According to Breitbart, among those who aligned with Smollett's take included President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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