The Smollett hate crime case - and why it won't go to trial

WASHINGTON: A television actor claims to be the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime. Chicago police say he staged the whole thing. The chief prosecutor says she believes he is guilty.The curious case of Jussie Smollett, who stars on Fox music drama"Empire," got even weirder when prosecutors in Illinois' Cook County - who handle crimes in Chicago - dropped the charges Tuesday.

At both the federal and state level, prosecutors are widely free to pursue cases as they see fit. They supervise the initial investigations, take cases to trial or not, and recommend sentences.The decision to drop all 16 felony charges against US actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a hoax hate crime attack against himself, has revived debate about prosecutorial discretion.

Police say Smollett hired a pair of brothers he knew from the"Empire" set to stage the attack -- and paid them for it."I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one," Smollett told reporters on Tuesday. Tobias says prosecutors"are often overloaded -- they have too many cases to give all of them the attention they need, so they need to have the flexibility to cut plea deals."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is angry about the resolution of the Jussie Smollett case without trial, calling it a"whitewash of justice".

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