Jussie Smollett to be released from jail on bond during conviction appeal

metro.co.uk:

found guilty on five of the six charges he faced for lying about a hate crime attack, while prosecutors claimed he staged the incident in a bid to help his career.

However, he has maintained his innocence.The court ordered Smollett to be released from Cook County Jail after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000 (£115,000), which means he does not have to put down money but agrees to come to court when required.It’s not yet clear how soon he may be released.The actor’s lawyers had argued that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he remained locked up in Cook County Jail.The office of the special prosecutor called this claim ‘factually incorrect.’In January 2019, the TV star had filed police reports alleging he was set upon by two assailants in Chicago, where Smollett claimed the pair tied a noose around his neck in a racist and homophobic attack.As the sentence was handed down in a Cook County courtroom in Chicago on Thursday, the 39-year-old actor told the court: ‘Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this.‘And I am not suicidal.