About a year ago, Winona Ryder was arrested for shoplifting. She walked out of a Beverly Hills department store with more than $5,500 worth of designer goods. It wasn’t until last week that her trial began, and since then case received nationwide attention.
The court even made sure that the jury included some of Ryder’s own peers. Among the jurors who heard the case was former movie studio chief Peter Guber. Guber had made several movies with Ryder.
The jury spent one day deliberating before finding the famous actress guilty of two of her three charges: grand theft and vandalism. She was found not guilty of commercial burglary because she had no prior intent of stealing before she went into the store.
Although she won’t be spending her autumn in New York this year, Ryder will have to spend the rest of the season in Los Angeles. The judge allowed Ryder to remain free until her sentencing Dec. 6 because she is not considered to be a flight risk. The Golden Globe winner could face up to three years in prison, but prosecutors are not asking for any jail time.
The jury’s verdict could not be better. It showed celebrities are not above the law.
Ryder probably wanted to feel the thrill of breaking the law. She figured because she had two Academy Award nominations in her pocket, she could get away with anything. Who would want to put the former LeLaina Pierce from “Reality Bites” in jail?
But Ryder thought wrong. She didn’t take into account that the public is wiser than she thought. They didn’t care about the movies, the fame or the money. Instead, they saw a wrong that needed to be corrected. Justice had to be served.
Some may say that Ryder didn’t get exactly what she deserved. There are people out there who go to jail for much lesser crimes. Ryder is still riding a get-out-of-jail-free ticket. However, the jury made a statement. It could have been worse: the jury may have found her innocent. But justice was served to some extent, and she was found guilty.
If Ms. Ryder was trying to become Mrs. Deeds, she should have known the difference between right and wrong. This little woman should stop herself from becoming another celebrity criminal joke punchline.
