Jussie Smollett’s legal team is requesting a new trial after the actor was found guilty on five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct in his Chicago hate crime case.

According to TMZ, on Friday (Feb. 25) the former Empire actor asked a Chicago judge to reverse the verdict to find him not guilty. He also claims that his constitutional rights were violated because his legal team was denied from participation in the jury selection process.

Smollet’s defense team also alleges that prosecutors in the case had shown possible racism when selecting jurors and pressured witnesses to give false testimony.

It was previously reported that in 2019 the actor alleged that he was attacked by two men who spewed racist and homophobic slurs at him one night in Chicago. He also claimed they poured bleach on him and wrapped a noose around his neck.

After an investigation by the Chicago Police Department, they determined that the actor orchestrated the incident and paid two brothers, Bola and Ola Osundario that he knew from Empire to stage the incident to gain the public’s attention.

The brothers who were among the seven witnesses for the prosecution at the trial testified that Smollett did pay them and direct them to stage the attack.

A disorderly conduct charge for a false crime report is a Class 4 felony and punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, CNN reports. Cook County Judge James Linn will decide if the actor will serve a concurrent or consecutive sentence for each of the five counts.

Smollett will be sentenced on March 10.