This all made me go back last night and re-watch Dave Chapelle's bit on Jussie Smollet (french pronunciation). ?

6 minutes ago, bugatti said:

Just because of his semi-celebrity status, does that mean punishment becomes more severe?

It shouldn't. 

Just now, TheDeuce said:

It shouldn't. 

My thoughts, too. Which is why when I see predictions of probation and community service only, that must be based on something.

40 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Part of me feels that way, and another part of me thinks he absolutely should do jail time. As seriously as I think hate crimes should be treated, I think faking one should be treated equally as harsh. In today's society, this is nothing to play with. 

Agree with this 100%. There are enough individuals that automatically view hates crimes and sex crimes with a skeptical eye. Faking either should be treated with swift and harsh punishment. 

The skeptics don't need any extra help being skeptical. 

3 minutes ago, bugatti said:

Faking a hate crime punishments have precedence. We are not reinventing the wheel here. Do we know what those individuals generally get? Just because of his semi-celebrity status, does that mean punishment becomes more severe?

 

I wonder how many of those cases went to a jury trial where the perpetrator got on the stand and perjured him/herself?  And according to a couple of experts I listened to last night the fact that he testified (and by all accounts provided false testimony) means the punishment can be enhanced.  My point is, it is one thing to get caught and then be humble/sorry/honest/etc, it is another thing to do what he did.

While I do not think anyone's "status" should figure into the punishment, he did use his status to further this egregious hoax.

I am sticking with one year in prison, I think that is about right.

Information on precedence appears to be hard to come by.  Wikipedia has several cases listed, most of them either don't list what happened to the perpetrator that committed the hoax or the perpetrator was given probation because they admitted it was a hoax and took a plea.  However, one case stood out to me, this is what happened when a police officer faked a hate crime.  Before I list it, I do believe police officers should receive a harsher penalty because of their "status" as public servants.   

Officer Sherry Hall shooting hoax
In September 2016, Georgia police officer Sherry Hall claimed "a 6-foot, 230-pound African American man" had shot her, and that only her protective vest saved her life. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that she fabricated the whole incident and charged her with four felonies, including evidence tampering and giving false statements to investigators.[42] Hall was convicted of 11 criminal charges, including "making false statements, violating her oath and tampering with evidence," and sentenced to 15 years in prison and 23 years on probation.[43]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_hoax

2 hours ago, bugatti said:

This all made me go back last night and re-watch Dave Chapelle's bit on Jussie Smollet (french pronunciation). ?

That was golden.