Posted on 03/29/2019 9:46:02 AM PDT by detective
Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff said Wednesday that her behind-the-scenes communications with Cook County’s top prosecutor about the case involving actor Jussie Smollett were not intended at influencing the outcome of the case.
Facing backlash following the decision Tuesday to drop felony charges that Smollett faked a hate crime against himself, Tina Tchen said she simply reached out to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to put her in touch with Smollett’s family after Smollett reported that he was a victim of an attack in River North.
“I know members of the Smollett family based on prior work together,” Tchen said in a statement released Wednesday. “Shortly after Mr. Smollett reported he was attacked, as a family friend, I contacted Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who I also know from prior work together. My sole activity was to put the chief prosecutor in the case in touch with an alleged victim’s family who had concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public.”
(Excerpt) Read more at chicago.suntimes.com ...
No one will say who.
Tell it to the FBI bitch and be careful.!!
Trump should be looking at who in the FBI was suppose to get this case to whitewash it and cover up something. That was what Foxx was suppose to do. Get it away from CPD
That settles that. Case closed.
Sounds like COLLUSION!
They are already denying it.
Of course Mooch denies this. The money has been back channeled 10 different ways. They can’t prove she did anything.
Somebody met with the prosecutors and got them to drop the charges.
No one will say who.
___________________________________________
Not true. Soros bought and paid for a Foxx.
Tina....you’re a gd liar...
IPBA STATEMENT ON JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE DISMISSAL
Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association ^ | 28 Mar 2019 2:49 PM | Lee Roupas, President, IPBA / FR Posted by FreedomPoster
The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association serves as the voice for nearly 1,000 front line prosecutors across the State who work tirelessly towards the pursuit of justice. The events of the past few days regarding the Cook County State’s Attorney’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case is not condoned by the IPBA, nor is it representative of the honest ethical work prosecutors provide to the citizens of the State of Illinois on a daily basis.
The manner in which this case was dismissed was abnormal and unfamiliar to those who practice law in criminal courthouses across the State. Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges alike do not recognize the arrangement Mr. Smollett received. Even more problematic, the State’s Attorney and her representatives have fundamentally misled the public on the law and circumstances surrounding the dismissal.
The public has the right to know the truth, and we set out to do that here.
When an elected State’s Attorney recuses herself from a prosecution, Illinois law provides that the court shall appoint a special prosecutor. See 55 ILCS 5/3-9008(a-15). Typically, the special prosecutor is a neighboring State’s Attorney, the Attorney General, or the State Appellate Prosecutor. Here, the State’s Attorney kept the case within her office and thus never actually recused herself as a matter of law.
Additionally, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office falsely informed the public that the uncontested sealing of the criminal court case was “mandatory” under Illinois law. This statement is not accurate. To the extent the case was even eligible for an immediate seal, that action was discretionary, not mandatory, and only upon the proper filing of a petition to seal. See 20 ILCS 2630/5.2(g)(2). For seals not subject to Section 5.2(g)(2), the process employed in this case by the State’s Attorney effectively denied law enforcement agencies of legally required Notice (See 20 ILCS 2630/5.2(d)(4)) and the legal opportunity to object to the sealing of the file (See 20 ILCS 2630/5.2(d)(5)). The State’s Attorney not only declined to fight the sealing of this case in court, but then provided false information to the public regarding it.
The appearance of impropriety here is compounded by the fact that this case was not on the regularly scheduled court call, the public had no reasonable notice or opportunity to view these proceedings, and the dismissal was done abruptly at what has been called an “emergency” hearing. To date, the nature of the purported emergency has not been publicly disclosed. The sealing of a court case immediately following a hearing where there was no reasonable notice or opportunity for the public to attend is a matter of grave public concern and undermines the very foundation of our public court system.
Lastly, the State’s Attorney has claimed this arrangement is “available to all defendants” and “not a new or unusual practice.” There has even been an implication it was done in accordance with a statutory diversion program. These statements are plainly misleading and inaccurate. This action was highly unusual, not a statutory diversion program, and not in accordance with well accepted practices of State’s Attorney initiated diversionary programs. The IPBA supports diversion programs, and recognizes the many benefits they provide to the community, the defendant and to the prosecuting agency. Central to any diversion program, however, is that the defendant must accept responsibility. To be clear here, this simply was not a deferred prosecution.
Prosecutors must be held to the highest standard of legal ethics in the pursuit of justice. The actions of the Cook County State’s Attorney have fallen woefully short of this expectation. Through the repeated misleading and deceptive statements to the public on Illinois law and circumstances surrounding the Smollett dismissal, the State’s Attorney has failed in her most fundamental ethical obligations to the public. The IPBA condemns these actions.
This irregular arrangement was an affront to prosecutors across the State, the Chicago Police Department, victims of hate crimes, and the people of the City of Chicago and Cook County. We strongly encourage our members and the public to review the National District Attorneys Associations statement on prosecutorial best practices in high profile cases.
Best Regards,
Lee Roupas President, Illinois Prosecutor’s Bar Association
CONTACT: Illinois Attorney Disciplinary Commission
If the office of the lawyer involved is in northern Illinois, please send the request to our Chicago office:
One Prudential Plaza
130 East Randolph Drive, Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60601-6219
(312) 565-2600 (800) 826-8625
Fax: (312) 565-2320
In central or southern Illinois, we ask that you send the request to our Springfield office:
3161 West White Oaks Drive, Suite 301
Springfield, IL 62704
(217) 546-3523 Toll free (800) 252-8048
Fax: (217) 546-3785
Can I use your statement as a “unnamed source” inside the Obama circle of influence?
We may need the Civil Rights division of the US Justice Department to have a trial to see if there are or has been any political operatives manipulating this poor innocent Black boy that got him into such trouble. Eh?
“Dude, this was like two years ago.”
If anyone really believes that Rahm was involved in dropping the charges, they are delusional. They are wrapping a pretty little package up for us. Rahm and the police chief are acting furious, incensed which is why they have secretly choreographed this little $130,000.00 “fine”, so they can walk away looking just a little bruised but fair. (How clever that the 130,000.00 is the same amount Trump was to pay Stormy)
Go right ahead!
Typo.
If anyone really believes Rahm was NOT involved in dropping the charges, they are delusional.
They need to arrange another accidental tarmac meeting.
Hussein Heads Rahmy and Chiefy spoke up RIGHT AWAY to unsuccessfully absolve themselves.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.