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The criminal trial againstEmpireactor Jussie Smollett begins today in Cook County court in Chicago.
The trial will start with jury selection, andSmollett has already arrived at court.
These findings were confirmed by phone records and video footage.
That March, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts by grand jury for staging the hoax.
He pleaded not guilty, and prosecution suddenly dropped all charges.
In June 2019, Cook County approved a special prosecutor to investigate the handling of the Smollett case.
Their findings led to another grand-jury indictment of Smollett, this time on six counts in February 2020.
This civil suit is stalled in federal district court pending the criminal trial.
Smollett continues to stand by his story.
