Jussie Smollett Hires Prominent Defense Lawyer After “New Evidence” Forces Chicago Police To Release Suspects

UPDATE, 8:16 PM (2/15/19): Well, the plan that the supposed suspects in the Jussie Smollett alleged assault were going to continued to be questioned and held by Chicago Police didn’t last long.

A little bit over an hour after a Chicago PD spokesman said that the department had canceled a planned press conference on the status of the two brothers brought in a couple of days ago and arrested today related to the attack in the early morning of January 29, the men have been released due to unexplained “new evidence.”

Case Update: Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete.

The release of Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo at near 9 PM Chicago time surely means that whatever that “new evidence” is, it is a clear game changer for the ever twisting and turning Empire star case.

Adding to that, attorney Michael Monico has been now been retained by Smollett.

The Chicago-based defense lawyer is a frequent go-to-guy for high profile cases. In the past year he represented Donald Trump’s ex-right hand man Michael Cohen in his dealings with Robert Mueller’s investigation and other related federal cases. Having seemingly spilled the beans to the ex-FBI Director to some extent or another on his lying to Congress and more, Cohen is set to start a three-year prison sentence next month.

PREVIOUSLY, 6:20 PM: A planned update on the status of the Jussie Smollett alleged assault case has been put on hold indefinitely by the Chicago police department because of the shooting tragedy today in nearby Aurora, Illinois.

With two suspects in custody and still being questioned by detectives, Chicago PD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi just alerted the situation of the Empire star via social media:

There were five deaths and multiple police officers injured from the now deceased active shooter at the Henry Pratt Company later on Friday in Aurora. Today’s terrible Aurora massacre is not to be confused with Aurora, Colorado where there was a mass shooting that left 12 dead and 58 wounded from gun fire at a screening of The Dark Knight Returns in 2012.

Even due to the President’s Day holiday on February 8, being that the arrested Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo have been in custody for near 48 hours, the duo could be formally charged by midnight in the Windy City – or have to be released

To that end, and as the investigation by a variety of agencies continues in the Chicago suburb, any press conference or update in the Smollett case is looking more like it too will happen in the next day or so.

Almost three weeks after the Empire actor was supposedly violently attacked in the early hours of January 29 by a duo chanting racist and homophobic slurs, the Osundairo brothers were brought in formally on suspicion of assault and battery by cops Friday

At least one of the brothers, who were picked up returning to Chicago at O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday, has appeared as an extra in the Lee Daniels and Danny Strong co-created series in its second season.

“Detectives have probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime,” said Chicago PD spokesman Guglielmi declared earlier Friday of the arrested siblings.

This comes one day after local media were slammed by police for “unconfirmed” and “inaccurate” reports that the alleged assault on Smollett in the Windy City was staged as a career move. Soon afterwards, Empire broadcaster Fox soundly rejected suggestions that the actor who plays openly gay Jamal Lyon on the hip hop drama was being written off the series, a reason given in reports earlier in the day claiming the attack was staged.

On February 14, Smollett gave his first sit-down since the January 29 attack to Good Morning America. The actor told co-host Robin Roberts that he thought he was targeted in the street attack last month because of his repeated public criticism of President Donald Trump. Earlier this week Smollett handed over phone records from within the hour of the 2 AM incident. GMA’s Roberts noted in the interview segment that Chicago police said the records were “limited and heavily redacted.”

Asked about the doubts and rumors that have sprung up on social media and elsewhere since the attack, Smollett said, “If I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot more.”