I offer my perspective on the Smollett hoax and verdict as a longtime Chicago resident. 

It is simply incredible that anyone would believe that the "attack" would happen on a night when Chicago was having a polar vortex, and that there would be attackers yelling "MAGA country" out that night (or any night) in one of the most Democratic cities in America.  (And who is carrying bleach and a rope at 2 A.M.?  And what "celebrity" is going to a Subway at 2 A.M.?)  My initial view three years ago when he reported the alleged incident was that Smollett must really be dumb to think that story would be remotely believable.  Yet the media largely bought it, as did many progressives and professional race-baiters.

Keep in mind that the already stretched Chicago police department spent over 3,000 man-hours investigating Smollett's hoax, including $130,106 in overtime pay.  How many violent crimes could have been stopped or properly investigated over the ensuing months had Smollett not taken up so much of the police force's time?

In any event, Steven Hayward nailed it when he wrote: "Has there ever been a self-immolation as complete as Smollett?  Beyond the imagination of Tom Wolfe.  It would be good if it marked a turning point in the media-race-hustle-industrial complex, but I doubt it.  Still, it might be nice if the phrase 'You're Smollettin' us again!' caught on." 

Yes, the story has a good ending: a diverse Chicago jury found Smollett guilty on five out of six felony counts.  However, remember that his guilt was as obvious within days of his reporting his fake hate crime as it is today, yet Soros-backed progressive "prosecutor" Kim Foxx (one of many he's supported) tried to sweep it under the rug.  Kudos to retired judge Sheila O'Brien for her herculean efforts to revive the case, and for longtime Chicago reporter John Kass for supporting her cause, when so many in the local media wanted to give Smollett a pass. 

Justice will truly be served, however, only if Foxx and others like her across the country, all of whom bear significant responsibility for the crime wave sweeping cities across the country, are swept from office by the voters, and Smollett serves significant time in prison for his crimes.

Josh Kantrow is a technology lawyer in Chicago.

Image: Dominick D via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.