The People vs Jussie Smollett

 

The truth is that I am not a big fan of the justice system.  That doesn't mean that I don't believe in justice.  That doesn't believe I don't support the police.  The doesn't believe I don't believe in concept of being judged by a jury of one's peers.  The reality is that the justice system moves very slowly and there seems to be different justice for everyone and one of the big factors is the size of one's bank account.  Go ahead.  Go research the statistics about sexual assault, for example, and see how many perpetrators are actually sentenced and what their sentences are.  Actually, don't research that.  You will become too upset.  In Manitoba, we are watching closely what is going to happen to Peter Nygaard.  I really believe the snake will spend the rest of his creepy life in prison but it won't be for any of the multiple accounts of sex related charges.  He will be convicted of financial crimes.  I guess the important thing is that he will be behind bars, but, likely none of his victims will think justice has been served.  There has been calls to reform the justice system, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, since the shooting of JJ Harper in 1988.  That is over a generation ago, and even if there have been a few changes, boy, there is a long way to go.  Justice by definition is treating everyone equally and fairly.  We all know that is a great ideal but doesn't happen.  

So, back to Jussie Smollett.  It has been a couple of days now since a jury found him guilty of 5/6 criminal counts against him.  I really have no idea how I feel about this case.  

I get the fact that his lie about what hadn't happened to him cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in police resources in investigating his story.  But, the reality is that this was a choice of the police department.  Yes, they have an obligation to investigate a criminal complaint.  However, we all know of cases of criminal offences reported to police departments resulting in little or no investigation.  We all know some cases seem to be spark plugs for public investigations and some get no attention.  We all know that there were hundreds of cases of missing or murders indigenous women that went ignored for a long time.  Then, the public heard the case of Tina Fontaine.  There was something about her particular case that made us care about MMIW in a way that had not occurred before.  

The reality is that the 5 charges Jussie Smollett has been convicted of have all been misdemeanors.  Usually, the sentence would be probation or fines, but the legal analysts on this one are pretty positive he will get some prison time.  

If it gets prison time, it will be for these minor charges, so it won't be long so he will be getting out.  The US prison system is not really known for its rehabilitation.  So, rather than gaining something to enable his life to move forward, he likely will not exit the system a better man.  

What this imperfect young man needs is education, counselling, therapy, and treatment.  The goal of the justice should also be to have the best outcome for society.  He will be spending a brief time in prison, so we need to ensure that when he moves forward he has more empathy for others and more appreciation for the privilege he has by virtue of his acting fame.  Community service is a great tool to create empathy.  

Some say he has already been punished enough because he has lost his acting career.  Again, is the primary goal of the justice system to be punitive or is it to be restorative?  And, has he lost his acting career?  One thing about America is that they do love a come back story.  We will have to wait and see.