In what could be a dramatic hearing for the next couple of weeks, Jussie Smollett appeared at the Leighton Criminal Court Building for his hearing in Chicago, IL, pleading not guilty to the 16 felony counts and lying to the police.

Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty to a 16 counts indictment for allegedly lying to authorities about a staged hate crime in court on Thursday (March 14). According to USA Today, the actor’s legal team requested on Tuesday (March 12) that cameras be present during court so that the public could see the alleged evidence proving the 36-year-old’s innocence.