Everyone, everywhere, is today discussing the dropping of all charges against alleged hoaxer, Jussie Smollett. It really is something to turn on the television to any of the cable news networks, or to read on Twitter, the reactions to this astonishing (Yes, I heard that used more than once) development. No one can get their. mind around it. some, in fact are now saying (CNN) that maybe the attack did occur and that since none of us were there, we just don’t know.

Well, the Chicago Police spent vast resources – 24 senior detectives – investigating this for weeks and discovered, even though there was no other evidence of the actual attack, they found the perpetrators, brothers, friends of Smollett. they even have them on video actually buying the rope, bleach, etc., to fake the attack. They, of course said that it was Smollett’s plan, and they were paid $3,500 by him to stage the attack. All the proof needed seemed to be there.

The evidence was presented before a Grand Jury and Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts. It appeared he was done. Not that he was ever going to see the inside of a prison, maybe a little jail time in county lockup, but probably nothing major, but shouldn’t these hoaxes, which we’ve seen on multiple occasions finally have a real prosecution , if for nothing else to let the public know that there will be consequences for anyone thinking about something like this in the future?

Well, apparently not. To be honest, I was only slightly surprised to hear/read about this development.  There should be consequences for those that perpetrate a fraud and those consequences should be severe and not just a slap on the wrist. The Smollett investigation cost real money, taxpayer money, and the residents of Chicago should be furious that their police resources were diverted from real crimes to investigate what was essentially a hoax.

It’s really not about Jussie Smollett though, I don’t really care about him; This is about applying the justice system equally to everyone and showing the public that hoaxers are no less liable for their deception than any other person indicted for fraud.