NEWSMAKERS

NEWSMAKERS

Smollett team: Court cameras would show state’s flimsy case

CHICAGO

A lawyer for Jussie Smollett said Tuesday that she would welcome cameras in the courtroom during the “Empire” actor’s trial on charges accusing him of lying to the police, saying there has been a lot of leaked misinformation, and cameras would allow the public to “see the evidence and the lack thereof.”

Attorney Tina Glandian made the comments during a brief hearing Tuesday in Cook County criminal court during which both sides agreed that cameras would be allowed at the next hearing in the case, which is scheduled for Thursday. During that hearing, the case will be assigned to a trial judge who will then likely ask Smollett to enter a plea.

During the hearing, which took place after local news organizations requested that cameras be allowed in the courtroom, Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. said that the new judge will decide whether to allow cameras in the courtroom during subsequent hearings and the trial.

After the hearing, Glandian told reporters that evidence has been presented against Smollett that is “demonstrably false.”

“We welcome cameras in the courtroom so that the public and the media can see the actual evidence and what we believe is the lack of evidence against Mr. Smollett, and we look forward to complete transparency and the truth coming out,” she said.

HBO documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ popular with viewers

NEW YORK

HBO’s “Leaving Neverland” is heading up the charts.

The unsparing documentary about Michael Jackson and his alleged sexual abuse is already the third-most-watched documentary of the past decade at the prime cable network, which takes pride in its documentary schedule. HBO said that it’s likely to surpass “Bright Lights,” the movie about Debbie Reynolds and her daughter, Carrie Fisher, which is currently in second place.

The Nielsen company said the first half of the four-hour program on Jackson has been seen by 3.67 million people. The second half stands at 2.45 million. Those totals are expected to go up as people catch up with the program through delayed viewing.

HBO’s most-watched documentary over the past decade is “Going Clear,” about Scientology.

For the week of March 4-10, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 13 million; “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 11.58 million; “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 10.97 million; “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 10.22 million; “60 Minutes,” CBS, 8.6 million; “Mom,” CBS, 8.3 million; “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 8.26 million; “American Idol” (Wednesday), ABC, 7.828 million; “This is Us,” NBC, 7.827 million; “NCIS,” CBS, 7.49 million.

Associated Press