Chicago Judge Orders Google To Turnover Jussie Smollett Data in Court Case

The Cook County judge handling Jussie Smollett‘s hoax attack case has ordered a sweeping search warrant directed at Google in order to obtain one-year’s worth of data documentation from Jussie Smollett and his manager, according to the Chicago Tribune. The judge is demanding that Google hand over Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages as part of an on-going investigation involving accusations that the Empire star staged a hate crime attack that allegedly resulted in a physical and verbal assault and a noose being tied around Smollett’s neck in his hometown of Chicago. 

Smollett was indicted on sixteen felony counts for allegedly staging a racial and homophobic attack carried out by brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, who later expressed their regret in their involvement in the hoax act of violence. With the Osundairo brothers now cooperating with the prosecution and Smollett urging the court to drop the case against him, the Chicago judge has decided to move forward with court proceedings against the actor. 

Angela Weiss/Getty Images

The Cook County judge is also requiring that Google provide the court with Smollett’s email drafts, deleted messages, Google Drive files, Google Voice texts, and web browsing history as further evidence for their prosecution. With the Chicago judicial system pressing further in Smollett’s hoax attack case and Lee Daniels announcing that Smollett will not be returning for the season finale of Empire, Smollett could eventually end up serving time for filing a false report and heedlessly utilizing police resources for a fraudulent crime. Stick with HNHH as details unfold in Jussie Smollett’s upcoming criminal proceedings.