Jussie Smollett's highly-controversial assault case is finally set to be heard in court. The Cook County state's attorney who would usually have presided over the legal proceedings has recused herself from the case. An official statement confirms that Kim Foxx has stepped down from the bench.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the decision to recuse herself was made to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case," a spokesperson explained in an email. First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats has been selected as her replacement for the matter. No further details were offered concerning the potential conflict of interests.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Police Department is still waiting to speak with Jussie Smollett following the "new evidence" acquired in their investigation. "We're not confirming, denying or commenting on anything until we can talk to him and we can corroborate some information that we've gotten," the department's spokesperson said.
Their request for the followup interview has been denied so far. "There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today," his attorneys said. "Any news reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. Smollett's attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf."