No need to use exoneration in quotes, the dropping off all charges demonstrates a clear lack of evidence by the state. What's a shame is mischaracterizing this attack as not real, Smollett has never admitted to faking anything because the attack wasn't fake... those bruises were real. If you cut him, he does bleed. We have to move on and accept this exoneration.
And we all know who lives in Chicago and does photo shoots with Jussi don't we?
But the real question is why did he do it in the first place? Could it be Kamala Harris (one of his mentors) put him up to it because of her "lynching is a hate crime" legislation?
And now because he was going to be burned for his silliness there was a way found to make sure he wasn't going to be responsible for his actions. (And people still vote for them for some reason).