- Title: USA: SHOPLIFTING HEARING AGAINST WINONA RYDER SET TO RESUME IN LOS ANGELES.
- Date: 3rd June 2002
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 3, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF THE BEVERLY HILLS COURTHOUSE/PHOTOGRAPHERS AWAITING ARRIVAL OF WINONA RYDER WINONA RYDER ARRIVING AT COURTHOUSE SURROUNDED BY MEDIA
- Embargoed: 18th June 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Crime,Entertainment,General
- Reuters ID: LVAE71OQUX4RPZ2CEKQRCPU5B7GN
- Story Text: A court hearing against actress Winona Ryder is due to resume today (June 06) following conflicting reports that one of her arms was broken by photographers when she appeared in court on Monday (June 03) Ryder claimed to have suffered the injury outside the Beverly Hills Courthouse where she appeared for a pre-trial hearing into felony charges stemming from her December 1 arrest at a local department store for allegedly shoplifting almost $5000 (USD) worth of merchandise.
A hearing began on Monday (June 3) into shoplifting charges against "Girl, Interrupted" star Winona Ryder after the actress faced a throng of cameras and reporters when she entered the courthouse.
But when Superior Court Judge Elden Fox ordered a lunch break, Ryder again had to brave the mass of media waiting outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the diminutive star.
Upon returning from lunch, Ryder complained to court officials that she sustained an arm injury when she was shoved by photographers. Eyewitnesses said a bailiff was also struck in the head by still cameras.
At the request of Ryder's attorney, Judge Fox granted a continuation to the hearing so Ryder could see a private physician off courthouse premises. But Fox requested that Ryder's attorney call the courthouse by 15:30 PT (22:30 GMT) to advise the court if his client would be able to return to court later in the day.
A court spokesperson said there were four more witnesses to give testimony on Monday (June 3) and speculated that the pre-trial hearing would need to be continued into another day or days.
The 30-year-old actress, who first shot to fame in the 1988 ghost comedy "Beetlejuice," was arrested in December on charges of trying to steal clothes, handbags and accessories worth about $4,800 from the posh Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue store.
Kenneth Evans, a security manager for Saks called as the first witness by prosecutors, testified that Ryder was tracked on video camera as she shopped for designer clothes.
Evans said security personnel watched as Ryder walked through the store with a pile of clothes on one hand, at one point going into a fitting room and emerging "no longer plainly in possession of items."
Ryder's attorney has said the actress paid for all of her merchandise and vowed that she would be exonerated of the charges. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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