Posted on 11/06/2002 11:19:37 AM PST by kcvl
Any bets on whether she walks without even a slap on the wrist?
sw
One less Hollywood vote to worry about...
Uneasy Ryder
Ryder on the Storm
In California, felons who have served their time can vote.
"Actress cleared of burglary charge; Shows no emotion at two felony verdicts; Released on bail... "
WINONA GUILTY OF GRAND THEFT, VANDALISM
She's a thief..with a slap on the wrist. I hope Saks bans her for LIFE.
sw
Actress Ryder Guilty of Vandalism
3 minutes ago
By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Jurors in Winona Ryder (news)'s shoplifting trial found the actress guilty of vandalism Wednesday. The actress was found innocent of burglary. The decision came after 5 1/2 hours of deliberations over two days.
The 31-year-old star of "Girl, Interrupted" was charged with grand theft, burglary and vandalism for allegedly stealing more than $5,500 worth of merchandise from the Saks Fifth Avenue store on Dec. 12, 2001.
In another development, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal chastised Superior Court Judge Elden Fox for refusing to release the questionnaires that jurors filled out at the start of the trial.
The questionnaires focused on how much the jurors knew about the case and what opinions they had formed about the actress before they were called for jury duty.
The appeals court gave the judge time to correct the error. He was ordered to either release the information by Nov. 7 or file a petition of opposition with the appeals court by Nov. 11.
The court ruling came in response to an appeal filed by The Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Ryder has appeared in more than two dozen other movies, including "Mr. Deeds," "Little Women," "Reality Bites" and "Edward Scissorhands." |
Walks? Where do you come up with that? She's a convicted felon as of today! One "walks" only by getting off scot-free. She may do only probation --- in other words she may not do any jail time --- but that is not the same thing as walking.
Whoever advised Ryder to take this case to court is an incompetent fool. A case that could've been managably plea-bargained has turned into a nightmare. She may still have a career in Hollywood, but her reputation as a serious actress is irredeemably tarnished, and that is a very, very heavy price to pay.
I'm outta here, going shopping $$..:~)
sw
I would think Napolitano would understand the defintion of burglary better:
To illegally enter a building to commit a crime, usually theft
Also, typically to gain a conviction the prosecution needs to be prove criminal intent at the time of entry. Ryder entered the store legally, so the prosecutors probably tried to prove that she went to the store with the intent to shoplift, a rather difficult allegation to prove beyond a reasonable doubt unless the perp doing something such as wearing a coat designed for shoplifting.
I hate to nit-pick but, technically, a criminal defendant is "convicted" only as of the day of sentence, not the day of verdict.
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