Chicago sues Jussie Smollett over costs of police work despite dismissal of charges
CHICAGO _ Outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration says it has gone to court to try to force Jussie Smollett to pay Chicago back for an alleged hate crime hoax even though Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges against the "Empire" actor.
The lawsuit, filed late Thursday in Circuit Court, comes after Smollett failed to pony up $130,106 by a deadline imposed by the city to cover the cost of the police overtime hours expended in the investigation into his allegations.
The upcoming battle in civil court promises in many ways to mirror the criminal charges against Smollett that were abruptly dismissed by prosecutors last month. Both center on the same question: Did Smollett stage a physical assault on himself, claiming his attackers shouted racial and homophobic slurs?
The suit did not specify the damages that the city will seek, but the city said that more than two dozen Chicago police officers and detectives worked a combined 1,836 hours of overtime over at least two weeks while investigating Smollett's claims.
A defiant letter sent last week by Smollett's lawyer warned the city against suing him, saying the actor "will not be intimidated into paying the demanded sum."
In a brief statement issued Thursday, the city's Law Department said the lawsuit against Smollett "pursues the full measure of damages allowed under the city's ordinance forbidding false statements. The city declined further comment.
_ Chicago Tribune
