I reckon this is the most beautiful criminal I've seen in my life!. If I had the bucks, I'd bail her out! ;D
Winona Ryder convicted of shoplifting
Hollywood movie star Winona Ryder took on a new role as a convicted criminal on Wednesday when she was found guilty of stealing more than $5500 of designer goods from a posh department store. <br /><br />A Beverly Hills jury ignored her star status and convicted the Oscar-nominated actress on charges of grand theft and vandalism, but cleared her on a third charge of commercial burglary. <br /><br />Had the star of "The Age of Innocence" been found guilty on all charges, she could have faced almost three years in jail. <br /><br /><br />But prosecutors said they would not try to put her behind bars when she is sentenced December 6, but would instead seek probation, community service and restitution. <br /><br />"This is her first conviction and it is not a violent crime," said prosecutor Ann Rundle. <br /><br />"I don't believe that she represents a danger to the community and this would never be the type of case, regardless of who the defendant is, for which I would ever ask for jail time." <br /><br />Los Angeles Judge Elden Fox freed 31-year-old Ryder on the $20 000 bail she posted after her December 12 shoplifting arrest outside Beverly Hills' Saks Fifth Avenue department store. <br /><br />Ryder, wearing a black alice band and burgundy coat, looked pale and drawn as she awaited the verdict, but did not react when it was read. <br /><br />Ryder unable to comment after verdict<br /><br />After the verdict was read, a shaken Ryder said: "I'm sorry... I just can't talk right now," while lawyer Mark Geragos said he would seek a new trial. <br /><br />Her publicist said in a statement that Ryder was grateful to her family, friends and those who supported her during her legal ordeal. <br /><br />The jury deliberated for six hours following the sensational six-day Tinseltown trial that gripped readers and television viewers across the world. <br /><br />The panel found Ryder guilty on the two felony charges despite the presence on the panel of top Hollywood producer Peter Guber, who oversaw two of Ryder's most successful films at Sony studios. <br /><br />A Saks store detective had testified that she watched through slats in a changing room door as Ryder knelt on the floor and cut security sensors off bags, dresses and hats before stuffing them in her bags and leaving the store. <br /><br />The vandalism charge related to damage done to those items with the scissors Ryder allegedly brought with her to the store. <br /><br />Winona claimed to be preparing for movie role<br /><br />During the trial, Saks' security chief and a policeman said the actress apologised after her arrest and told them she had been told to steal by a film director to prepare for a movie role as a shoplifter. <br /><br />The court watched security camera footage of Ryder's lengthy shopping spree in which prosecutors said she paid for four items and pinched 20 others. <br /><br />"She came, she stole, she left. End of story," Rundle said urging a conviction. "It is a simple case of theft. The law does not say there is a higher standard of proof for celebrities. The law treats everybody the same."
Winona Ryder convicted of shoplifting
Hollywood movie star Winona Ryder took on a new role as a convicted criminal on Wednesday when she was found guilty of stealing more than $5500 of designer goods from a posh department store. <br /><br />A Beverly Hills jury ignored her star status and convicted the Oscar-nominated actress on charges of grand theft and vandalism, but cleared her on a third charge of commercial burglary. <br /><br />Had the star of "The Age of Innocence" been found guilty on all charges, she could have faced almost three years in jail. <br /><br /><br />But prosecutors said they would not try to put her behind bars when she is sentenced December 6, but would instead seek probation, community service and restitution. <br /><br />"This is her first conviction and it is not a violent crime," said prosecutor Ann Rundle. <br /><br />"I don't believe that she represents a danger to the community and this would never be the type of case, regardless of who the defendant is, for which I would ever ask for jail time." <br /><br />Los Angeles Judge Elden Fox freed 31-year-old Ryder on the $20 000 bail she posted after her December 12 shoplifting arrest outside Beverly Hills' Saks Fifth Avenue department store. <br /><br />Ryder, wearing a black alice band and burgundy coat, looked pale and drawn as she awaited the verdict, but did not react when it was read. <br /><br />Ryder unable to comment after verdict<br /><br />After the verdict was read, a shaken Ryder said: "I'm sorry... I just can't talk right now," while lawyer Mark Geragos said he would seek a new trial. <br /><br />Her publicist said in a statement that Ryder was grateful to her family, friends and those who supported her during her legal ordeal. <br /><br />The jury deliberated for six hours following the sensational six-day Tinseltown trial that gripped readers and television viewers across the world. <br /><br />The panel found Ryder guilty on the two felony charges despite the presence on the panel of top Hollywood producer Peter Guber, who oversaw two of Ryder's most successful films at Sony studios. <br /><br />A Saks store detective had testified that she watched through slats in a changing room door as Ryder knelt on the floor and cut security sensors off bags, dresses and hats before stuffing them in her bags and leaving the store. <br /><br />The vandalism charge related to damage done to those items with the scissors Ryder allegedly brought with her to the store. <br /><br />Winona claimed to be preparing for movie role<br /><br />During the trial, Saks' security chief and a policeman said the actress apologised after her arrest and told them she had been told to steal by a film director to prepare for a movie role as a shoplifter. <br /><br />The court watched security camera footage of Ryder's lengthy shopping spree in which prosecutors said she paid for four items and pinched 20 others. <br /><br />"She came, she stole, she left. End of story," Rundle said urging a conviction. "It is a simple case of theft. The law does not say there is a higher standard of proof for celebrities. The law treats everybody the same."
;D
