Meet Kim Foxx: State Attorney Who Dropped Jussie Smollett Charges

Kim Foxx, the Cook County, Illinois State Attorney, has been thrust into the headlines after her decision to drop all 16 charges against Empire star Jussie Smollett who was accused of staging his own hate crime in Chicago back in January 2019.

“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” a statement from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office read, via the Hollywood Reporter.

The decision by Foxx to drop the charges has raised a lot of eyebrows and led to some heavy criticism.

Just one week ago, the Chicago Police Union called for a federal investigation into Foxx’s handling of the Smollett case. The request was due to Foxx exchanging text messages and emails with relatives and a supporter of Smollett, who was Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff, according to the Chicago Tribune.

To add to the concerns, Foxx initially recused herself from the case but ultimately made the decision to drop the charges. As you can expect, social media is claiming corruption.

The Chicago Police Department is reportedly “furious” at Foxx’s decision to drop the charges.

It will be interesting to see how this continues to develop. As for Smollett, he is not completely out of the clear because he remains under federal investigation. The federal investigation centers around a suspicious letter filled with powder that was mailed to the building where Empire films.

Who Is Kim Foxx?

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“I knew very early that I would practice law. We were always in court for child support. My mom would tell me, ‘This is the place where they make things right.’ I knew that I wanted to be a part of that." –Kim Foxx Kim's running for chief law enforcer of the 2nd largest county in the U.S (Cook County, Chicago). Raised by a single mom in the projects, she spent 6 months homeless when her mom couldn't make ends meet. Her experience growing up drives her mission to restore a sense of justice to one of the most distressed and racially segregated counties in the nation. After law school, she became a guardian, helping children navigate the justice system after many had been abused and neglected. She then spent 12 years prosecuting & supervising over 500 criminal cases. She most recently served as Chief of Staff for Toni Preckwinkle, the county's board pres. There, she's been the lead architect of the criminal justice reform agenda. She's also the Illinois Board Pres for #PlannedParenthood. "If you don’t address the conditions that get you there and only are reacting, we’re gonna keep battling these issues of violence in those neighborhoods.” www.kimfoxx.com/issues #kimfoxx #statesattorney #law #prosecutor #criminaljusticereform #chicago #cookcounty #blacklivesmatter #reform

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Kim Foxx, born April 1972 in Chicago, Illinois, is the State’s Attorney for Cook County, Illinois which is the nation’s second largest prosecutor’s office. She became the second African American to hold the position after being elected on November 8, 2016.

Fox earned her undergraduate and law degree from Southern Illinois University.

The 46-year-old previously served as chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and assistant State’s Attorney for Cook County.

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