Judge to consider request from media to unseal Smollett file
CHICAGO — A judge said Tuesday that it will be several weeks before he decides whether to make public the court file in the Jussie Smollett case, delaying the possibility for media organizations to read it for clues about why prosecutors, without explanation, announced the decision last week to dismiss the charges against the “Empire” actor.
During a brief hearing, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins said he didn’t agree with attorneys representing media organizations, including The Associated Press, that the public’s right to see the file represented an emergency. Watkins set a schedule for motions and arguments that he said would result in his written decision in late May.
Smollett did not attend the hearing but his attorney said there was no emergency that would warrant an immediate decision.