Alan Dershowitz says what the Bible advises as a punishment for Jussie Smollet

Civil liberties advocate Alan Dershowitz opined on the crime that "Empire" star Jussie Smollett allegedly committed when reporting an altercation to the police, and added what his punishment would be according to the Bible.

Dershowitz agreed with Laura Ingraham on her show that Smollett was likely to get a plea deal and only serve community service for the crime if found guilty, but then added what the Bible says his punishment should be.

"I agree with you, I think people who make false reports ought to go jail," Dershowitz said.

"You know in the Bible," he continued, "if you falsely accuse somebody you get the penalty that the person would have gotten had the accusation been true, so if in fact these people had attacked him in this racist way and put a noose around his neck, they would have gotten some years in jail. If you're gonna follow the Bible this guy oughta get the same penalty that he accused people of getting."

Dershowitz made clear that Smollett deserves the presumption of innocence however.

"Look, we have to presume everybody innocent," he explained. "If the facts are as the police say they are, if actually payments were made, and a plan was hatched to put a rope around the neck, and a police report was filed, then we have a potential for a serious crime."

Smollett was charged with filing a false police report after he claimed that two men hurled racist and homophobic insults at him in an attack in Chicago. Police say the alleged attackers are cooperating with the investigation and accuse Smollett of paying them to fake the attack.

He faces up to three years and severe fines if found guilty.

Here's the video of Dershowitz on Fox News:

Alan Dershowitz on Jussie Smollett's defense strategywww.youtube.com