Breaking: Defense Argues Jussie Smollett’s ‘Attackers’ Motivated by Homophobia in Flailing Cross-Examination
Chicago, Ill. – The defense attorney for former Empire star Jussie Smollett on Tuesday attempted to poke holes in the earlier testimony of the lead detective on the case, and tried to expose flaws in the Chicago Police Department's investigation of what authorities have called a "staged" hate crime against the disgraced actor. But lead attorney Nenye Uche's flailing cross examination of detective Michael Theis came across as unfocused, disorienting, and often confusing. Uche jumped around from topic to topic, and point to point, and his questioning was regularly stopped by a clearly frustrated Cook County Judge James Linn for being leading and argumentative, and for introducing hearsay. At one point, after an extended break, Linn directed the jury not to think too much about the courtroom tension. "Things get testy in the courtroom from time to time," he said. While both the prosecution and the defense agree that brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo