Report details ‘failure’ in Foxx’s office in handling of first Smollett case

By Sara Burnett Associated Press

Posted December 20, 2021 1:06 PM

Updated December 22, 2021 12:09 PM

The initial handling of allegations that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett had staged a fake attack in Chicago represented a “major failure of operations” by the local prosecutor’s office, according to a lawyer who was appointed to review the case.The 68-page report released Monday detailed multiple instances of false statements by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and others in her office in 2019, when they first prosecuted Smollett before abruptly dropping the charges weeks later.Read the …

To Read the Full Story

Your source for legal news and information

Print & Digital Access

Stay in the know all year long with these benefits:

Delivery to your office in downtown Chicago or mailed outside our hand-delivery zone.
Unlimited access to chicagolawbulletin.com.
Access to our e-edition and mobile site.
Breaking news alerts, Morning Lineup and Afternoon Headlines.
Exclusive access to events, discounts and more.

Order now, or call 312-644-2394 or email Subscription@LawBulletinMedia.com for details.

Be in the know. These must-read insider briefings will keep you

informed of the latest legal developments in Chicago. Sign up today!

Suspend attorney over poor representation, ARDC board says

An attorney who provided inadequate representation and took $15,750 in unreasonable fees from clients in two different matters should be suspended, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.
By Emma Oxnevad
Illinoisans can now have documents notarized online

Illinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new “E-Notary” portal launched by the secretary of state’s office.
By Alex Abbeduto
DePaul Law names Julie Lawton as interim dean

DePaul University College of Law has named Julie D. Lawton interim dean while continuing the search for a permanent leader, the university announced Monday.
By Emma Oxnevad
Class OK’d in suit alleging religious exercise in schools

A federal judge certified a class of former Chicago Public School students to jointly pursue their claim that the City of Chicago Board of Education’s Quiet Time program was a forced religious exercise.
By Grace Barbic
New federal rule would bar noncompete agreements

U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by a federal agency Tuesday, though the rule is sure to be challenged in court.
By Christopher Rugaber
Cook County jury awards $45M in baby powder suit

A Cook County jury awarded $45 million to the family of a woman who died from mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos fibers in Johnson & Johnson’s talc-containing baby powder.
By Grace Barbic
New rule mandates minimum staff levels for nursing homes

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday said the first rule to set minimum staffing levels at federally funded nursing homes and require that a certain portion of the taxpayer dollars they receive go toward wages for care workers is a long-overdue “milestone” that recognizes their value to society.
By Adriana Gomez Licon and Darlene Superville
Supreme Court appears to side with Starbucks in dispute with NLRB

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to side with Starbucks Tuesday in a case that could make it harder for the federal government to seek injunctions when it suspects a company of interfering in unionization campaigns.
By Dee-Ann Durbin