Court orders Jussie Smollett be released from jail during appeal

An appeals court ordered Jussie Smollett be released from jail pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack. The actor's attorneys had argued that he would have completed the sentence by the time the appeal process was completed and that Smollett could be in danger of physical harm if he remained locked up in Cook County Jail.

The ruling came after Cook County Judge James Linn sentenced Smollett last week to 30 months felony probation, including 150 days in jail, for lying to police about an alleged hate crime in 2019. The appeals court said Smollett could be released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000.

Smollett, best known for his role in the TV show "Empire," was convicted in December of five counts of lying to police about the attack but has maintained throughout his extensive legal battles that it was real.