Judge Nap: Jussie Smollett Could Face Years in Prison If Prosecutors ‘Get Aggressive’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT SMITH Good ░░░░░░░░ to you judge What ░░░░░░░░ you this morning As ░░░░░░░░ learned he turned himself ░░░░░░░░ and now we are ░░░░░░░░ to get an update ░░░░░░░░ the police NAPOLITANO A ░░░░░░░░ of observations I m ░░░░░░░░ if he really did ░░░░░░░░ and the evidence points ░░░░░░░░ way what he told ░░░░░░░░ lawyers Because his lawyers ░░░░░░░░ on the public face ░░░░░░░░ He didn t do ░░░░░░░░ he didn t do ░░░░░░░░ the truth is going ░░░░░░░░ come out If he ░░░░░░░░ truthful to his lawyers ░░░░░░░░ had an opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ a deal for him ░░░░░░░░ my view a small ░░░░░░░░ of time about six ░░░░░░░░ seven days ago during ░░░░░░░░ they could have negotiated ░░░░░░░░ sort of guilty plea ░░░░░░░░ incarceration Now it s ░░░░░░░░ too far His persistence ░░░░░░░░ lies it appears restated ░░░░░░░░ the lawyers digging in ░░░░░░░░ heels and causing the ░░░░░░░░ Police you ll probably ░░░░░░░░ soon how how much ░░░░░░░░ they spent on this ░░░░░░░░ a fortune in person ░░░░░░░░ and resources close the ░░░░░░░░ in which they can ░░░░░░░░ a deal The other ░░░░░░░░ issue is there s ░░░░░░░░ prosecution here that may ░░░░░░░░ the federal government If ░░░░░░░░ mailed that threatening letter ░░░░░░░░ himself by using the ░░░░░░░░ Office he engaged in ░░░░░░░░ fraud That s 5 ░░░░░░░░ years in jail That ░░░░░░░░ three times what he ░░░░░░░░ facing for filing a ░░░░░░░░ report with the Chicago ░░░░░░░░ HEMMER That s the ░░░░░░░░ serious matter We will ░░░░░░░░ from police in a ░░░░░░░░ What happens this afternoon ░░░░░░░░ Well this afternoon I ░░░░░░░░ he will plead not ░░░░░░░░ and be released either ░░░░░░░░ his own recognizance or ░░░░░░░░ a very small bail ░░░░░░░░ don t think he ░░░░░░░░ a threat to society ░░░░░░░░ far as I know ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have any ░░░░░░░░ record They may ask ░░░░░░░░ to surrender his passport ░░░░░░░░ to be sure that ░░░░░░░░ can t live the ░░░░░░░░ HEMMER So this afternoon ░░░░░░░░ s a plea and ░░░░░░░░ bond NAPOITANO Correct If ░░░░░░░░ is bond It could ░░░░░░░░ a simple signature a ░░░░░░░░ promise to return This ░░░░░░░░ a public person It ░░░░░░░░ hard for him to ░░░░░░░░ anywhere without anybody knowing ░░░░░░░░ SMITH We do know ░░░░░░░░ he did speak to ░░░░░░░░ several times He did ░░░░░░░░ to police leading up ░░░░░░░░ this most recently his ░░░░░░░░ he didn t show ░░░░░░░░ know that But he ░░░░░░░░ speak to police He ░░░░░░░░ spoke in several interviews ░░░░░░░░ maintained his story throughout ░░░░░░░░ those words be used ░░░░░░░░ him NAPOLITANO Yes Sandra ░░░░░░░░ is a very important ░░░░░░░░ you have just asked ░░░░░░░░ time he lied is ░░░░░░░░ separate and distinct offense ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors want to frame ░░░░░░░░ that way Filing the ░░░░░░░░ report is an offense ░░░░░░░░ to them to back ░░░░░░░░ up the first time ░░░░░░░░ met with them is ░░░░░░░░ second offense Lying to ░░░░░░░░ to back it up ░░░░░░░░ second time he met ░░░░░░░░ them So sometimes they ░░░░░░░░ those into one charge ░░░░░░░░ if they really want ░░░░░░░░ get aggressive with him ░░░░░░░░ will file and get ░░░░░░░░ grand jury to approve ░░░░░░░░ charges against him which ░░░░░░░░ his exposure in jail ░░░░░░░░ gives the police more ░░░░░░░░ latitude with his lawyers ░░░░░░░░ Just characterize this for ░░░░░░░░ When you think about ░░░░░░░░ national attention brought to ░░░░░░░░ case the charge of ░░░░░░░░ and the politics brought ░░░░░░░░ it it does the ░░░░░░░░ way those factors NAPOLITANO ░░░░░░░░ the amount of a ░░░░░░░░ I hope not It ░░░░░░░░ me that the president ░░░░░░░░ drawn into this that ░░░░░░░░ Maga stuff was drawn ░░░░░░░░ this A lot of ░░░░░░░░ said we are a ░░░░░░░░ society This is an ░░░░░░░░ of it HEMMER You ░░░░░░░░ you hope not not ░░░░░░░░ am asking does the ░░░░░░░░ have to consider some ░░░░░░░░ those in the case ░░░░░░░░ NAPOLITANO Under the law ░░░░░░░░ judge sentence is the ░░░░░░░░ and the crime and ░░░░░░░░ the events around him ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ judge will take that ░░░░░░░░ consideration SMITH Think about ░░░░░░░░ amount of crimes of ░░░░░░░░ city of Chicago faces ░░░░░░░░ amount of resources that ░░░░░░░░ taken away and poured ░░░░░░░░ this investigation for a ░░░░░░░░ judge NAPOLITANO That is ░░░░░░░░ very legitimate argument for ░░░░░░░░ pursuing him aggressively.”