Kim Foxx Has No Plans To Resign Despite Public Backlash Following Jussie Smollett Case
The controversial Jussie Smollett case has been one of many twists and turns which seem to just keep coming. The former Empire actor was previously charged for filing a false police report after claiming he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack. Smollett, who is both gay and black, had the support of many back in January when he first shared his story. But as the evidence piled up against him, even loyal supporters and his own colleagues began to question if he was telling the truth. It seemed nearly impossible that the actor would be able to avoid jail time, but remarkably he did just that. The felony charges against him were suddenly dropped in March, shocking the world and earning Chicago prosecutor in the case, Kim Foxx, plenty of backlash. Now Foxx is making it perfectly clear she doesn’t regret her decision one bit, according to The Chicago Sun Times.
There was a nationwide uproar when the charges against Smollett were dropped, brought about largely in part by law enforcement. The Chicago police union, as well as many suburban police chiefs, have called out Foxx, criticizing her for the way she handled the case. In their opinion, Foxx let a guilty man walk away without a scratch. Many have called upon Foxx to resign. Nevertheless, she made it clear that stepping away isn’t in her plans, even as the backlash intensifies.
Chicago's police union and a group of suburban police chiefs called for the resignation of Cook County State's Atty. Kim Foxx after holding votes of no confidence. But, the leaders insisted, their issues with Foxx did not start with Jussie Smollett's case. https://t.co/2ZXIeU5mRv pic.twitter.com/r96CrAAauS
— CNN (@CNN) April 4, 2019
On Saturday, she questioned whether the anger surrounding the decision had something to do with race. She went on to discuss her own upbringing, a life that began in poverty. She emphasized the value of facts in connection to a case as being predominant over public opinion.
“I cannot run an office that is driven by anger and public sentiment. I must run an office that looks at the facts, the evidence and the law on every case. That is my responsibility. I think we have to ask ourselves, what is this really about? As someone who has lived in this city — who came up from the projects of this city to serve as the first African-American woman in this role — it is disheartening to me, and to the women and men who I represent … that when we get in these positions, goal posts change.”
Still, she insists that she will not speak down upon law enforcement, even as their relationship is experiencing some strain given the current circumstances.
