U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall said in
the ruling, published on the court's website, that Smollett
"cannot bring a state malicious claim until proceedings against
him have been terminated."
The judge was referring to renewed felony charges filed in
February against the actor of having made false reports to
police about being attacked on the street in a hate crime that
he is accused of staging in a bid to advance his career.
Smollett pleaded not guilty.
Smollett, 37, best known for his work on the Fox drama "Empire,"
filed the lawsuit in November after Chicago sued him to try to
recoup $130,106 in police overtime costs to investigate the
beating claim.
He had accused the city, police and others of causing
"substantial economic damages as well as reputational harm,
humiliation, mental anguish and extreme emotional distress," and
was seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
The Chicago Police Department's motive was to bring Smollett to
justice "for a crime it had probable cause to think he
committed," according to the judge's Wednesday ruling filed with
the district court in the Northern District of Illinois.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; editing by Nick
Macfie)
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