2 involved in Fox's 'Empire' filming arrested at Cook County Jail

[alp227]

Last edited Wed Mar 19, 2014, 10:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Chicago Tribune

Two people involved in the shooting of scenes for Fox television pilot “Empire” were arrested when they tried to enter the Cook County Jail early this morning, a spokesman for the Cook County sheriff’s office said.

One man, James Suhajda, age 52, was arrested because he had an outstanding warrant in DuPage County, while another man was arrested but then later released without charges after jail officers found marijuna in the car he was driving, said Ben Breit, a spokesman for Sheriff Tom Dart.

Shooting is going on in Chicago for the pilot for “Empire,” a show about a family involved in hip-hop music that is set in New York City and is being directed by Lee Daniels and stars Terrance Howard and Gabourey Sidibe.

“These film shoots are something we welcome” at the jail, because particularly fictional shows are able to pay the sheriff’s office to use the jail as a location, Breit said. But the two were caught today because of the “extensive security measures we that we impose on any visitor.”

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-2-involved-in-foxs-empire-filming-arrested-at-cook-county-jail-20140319,0,7199207.story

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Sidibe previously starred in the film Precious. Lee Daniels directed The Butler, the historical drama film about the African-American White House butler who served from the '50s to '80s.

[Scuba]

1. Fox = drug riddled criminals, but then you knew that.

[KansDem]

4. Really...how long before they're reporting the news and making political commentaries?

[alp227]

5. This is what the show's about

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a558866/macy-gray-to-star-with-terrence-howard-in-foxs-empire.html

Macy Gray will appear in Fox's hip-hop drama Empire.

Empire, which is being produced by filmmaker Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, will see Gray star opposite Terrence Howard as a mogul attempting to take his record label public.

[Dustlawyer]

2. Why did they search his car, did he drive into the jail or what?

[PeoViejo]

3. Bringing drugs to the jail and having an arrest warrant?

These guys are real winners.

[billhicks76]

6. Cannabis is an herb not a drug

Its a plant. A drug is man made. The brain washing for profits it do strong people don't even know the definitions of the English language anymore. I'm glad the truth is finally surfacing and all these flat earthers will be fading away.

[Javaman]

7. What I find very interesting about this is...

Having worked in film for over 20+ years and having had the opportunity to film in a prison,

why did they run a background checks on the crew members? I never had that done.

And why are they searching the vehicles? that was also never done.

The only thing that was done was, every piece of equipement we brought in was photographed tagged and listed. And you better damn well have it all when you left.

we spent 3 extra hours while a camera assistant couldn't locate a small screw driver. They eventually did. another crew member borrowed it and forgot to return it.

[former9thward]

8. Cook County runs warrant checks on anyone entering the jail.

I used to be at that jail frequently. If you are entering the jail by car -- which most visitors are not allowed to do -- they search the vehicle.

[Javaman]

9. interesting.

I worked out in L.A. and we entered via a crew van. so that might have had something to do with it.