♪♪.
>> WHAT THE HELL WAS HE
THINKING?
YOU ARE JESSE FROM NOW ON.
YOU DON'T EVEN GET THE U NO
MORE.
[LAUGHTER] THAT U WAS RESPECT.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING RESPECT FROM
A.
>>KRISTIN: JESSE OR JUSSIE
SMOLLETT, MAY HAVE BEEN A
NO-SHOW IN HOLLYWOOD, BUT THAT
DIDN'T STOP CHRIS ROCK FROM
SECURING THE ACTOR.
THE DECISION BY CHICAGO
PROSECUTORS TO DROP ALL 16
CHARGES HAS SPARKED A NATIONAL
DIALOGUE.
EVEN PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
WEIGHING IN.
HERE TO HELP BREAK IT DOWN FOR
US, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY
IN CHICAGO, STEPHEN GREENBERG.
THE STATES ATTORNEY KIM FOX
SAYS HE WAS OFFERED A DEAL THAT
IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE KIND OF
DEAL THAT WOULD BE OFFERED TO
ANY OTHER DEFENDANT WHO DOES
NOT HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD.
DURING YOUR TIME AND EXPERIENCE
AS AN ATTORNEY, HAVE YOU
CROSSED A SIMILAR DEAL LIKE
THAT?
WHAT'S WITH THE SORT OF BREAK
IT DOWN BECAUSE TIM FOX HAS
BROUGHT BETTER DEALS THAN HER
PREDECESSORS HAVE.
BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE IT.
I HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING,
MAKE A MISTAKE.GET CAUGHT
WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF DRUGS.
SOME CANNABIS OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
THEY DON'T GET OFF WITH THOSE
DEALS.
THEY HAVE TO DO HUNDREDS OF
HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.
THEY HAVE TO BE ON A DIVERSE
AND DAIRY PROGRAM.
SOMETIMES FOR A YEAR OR TWO
BEFORE THEIR CASES ARE
DISMISSED.
THEY HAVE TO BRING IN
MITIGATING EVIDENCE.
THESE DEALS ARE NOT BEING
HANDED OUT.
THEY ARE NOT REGULAR.
SHE HAD TO SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO
HER PROSECUTORS, ASKING IF
ANYONE COULD GIVE HEREVIDENCE
OF ONE OF THESE DEALS.
I THINK THEY FOUND ONE OR TWO
CASES WHERE IT HAPPENED .
>>KRISTIN: JUSSIE SMOLLETT'S
ATTORNEY IS NOW SAYING SHE IS
NOT CONCERNED THAT HER TEAM IS
NOT WORRIED AT ALL ABOUT THE
FACT THAT THE FBI AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT COULD BE POTENTIALLY
INVESTIGATING WHY THESE
CHARGES, THE 16 CHARGES WERE
JUST DROPPED.
DO YOU THINK THAT JUSSIE
SMOLLETT AND HIS TEAM AND THE
STATES ATTORNEY SHOULD BE
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BACK
STORY IS.
I'VE GOT CONNECTIONS IN THE
STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE AND I
CAN'T FIND OUT ANYTHING.
JONAH GOT THAT DISMISSED THE
CASE IS AN EXPERIENCED
PROSECUTOR.
I DOUBT HE MADE THAT DECISION
WITHOUT THE STATES ATTORNEY
TELLING HIM TO DO IT.
BUT I WILL GIVE JESSE, AS WE
ARE NOW CALLING HIM.
I REPRESENTED DREW PETERSON.
DREW PETERSON, AFTER HIS WIFE
DISAPPEARED AND HIS OTHER WIFE
GOT EXHUMED.
KEPT CHALLENGING THE MESS.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT IS CHALLENGING
THE FBI AND THE FEDS TO CHARGE
HIM FOR SENDING THAT ENVELOPE
WHICH I HAVE NO DOUBT HE SENT
TO HIMSELF.
HE SHOULD GO AWAY.
GO ON A LONG VACATION.
HE SHOULD BE FEELING HIS
BLESSED TO GET THE DEAL HE GOT
AND JUST DISAPPEAR FOR A WHILE.
>>KRISTIN: SINCE YOU BRING UP
OTHER PEOPLE YOU'VE DEFENDED,
YOU ARE ALSO REPRESENTING R
KELLY IN THE SAME COUNTY.
I'M CURIOUS, ON THE ONE HAND,
WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE JUSSIE
SMOLLETT CASE HAS TARNISHED THE
STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE THERE.
BUT IT ALSO FREES HER
PROSECUTORS TO FOCUS MORE ON
THE R KELLY CASE.
DO YOU THINK THIS HELPS OR
HURTS YOUR EFFORTS?
>> I CAN TELL YOU THE
PROSECUTORS INVOLVED HAVE NO
CONNECTION WITH THAT CASE.
BUT I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE SAME
KIND OF CARELESSNESS IF YOU
WANT OR THE SAME PROBLEMS.
WE WILL BE MAKING A FILING
TOMORROW THAT TOUCHES ON WHAT
HAPPENS IN THE JUSSIE SMOLLETT
CASE.
I DON'T EXPECT THEY WILL OFFER
THE SAME DEAL TO MR. KELLY.
HE WOULD PROBABLY TAKE THE DEAL
IF THEY OFFERED A DEAL LIKE
THAT.
WE WILL FIGHT BACK IN OUR CASE
AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND THERE'S
TANGLED WEBS IN COOK COUNTY AND
THINGS HAPPENING THAT SHOULDN'T
BE HAPPENING.
>>KRISTIN: CAN YOU TELL US MORE
OF WHAT YOU ARE FILING
TOMORROW?
>> WHEN I FILE IT, YOU WILL SEE