Jussie Smollett back in court for hearing about lawyer

Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Wednesday (Anthony Vazquez /Chicago Sun-Times/AP)

Actor Jussie Smollett has returned to court for the first time in a year for a five-hour hearing to determine whether one of his lawyers should be allowed to keep representing him in his case against accusations he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself.

The hearing had nothing to with the charges against Smollett, who is accused of lying to police when he reported two masked men attacked him in downtown Chicago in January 2019.