In an interview later, Joe Magats, the prosecutor who made the decision, said that there had been no problems with the evidence or the police investigation into Mr. Smollett. Mr. Magats said he dropped the charges after Mr. Smollett agreed to the community service and to give up the $10,000 he paid for his release, money that would have been returned to him if he had made all his court appearances. He also noted that Mr. Smollett had no previous criminal record and said that the dropping of the charges “didn’t exonerate him.”

[A timeline of events of the Smollett case.]

“We work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime,” Mr. Magats said. “I don’t see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety.”



gross

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