Our
view
Guilty
star deserves jail
On what should have been an open and shut
case, the jury deliberated for several days
after Winona Ryder’s six-day trial in which
she was charged with grand theft, burglary
and vandalism after allegedly stealing about
$5,500 worth of clothing and accessories
from a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
Throughout the trial, Ryder’s lawyer argued
that the security staff at Saks had framed
the celebrity. Ryder made alleged statements
before the trial began, that she was instructed
by an unidentified director to commit the
crimes in order to research a role as a
kleptomaniac.
The prosecuting attorney argued that crime
is not OK regardless of who tells you to
do it and to counter the defense’s argument,
the prosecutor said that there was no evidence
that Ryder had “left her account” open on
her trip to Saks that day.
Two things are bothersome about this whole
situation: the length of the jury’s deliberation
and the foreseeable outcome of the punishment.
The ample evidence provided against Ryder
should have made it easy for the jury to
decide on a guilty verdict rapidly. The
fact that the jury deliberated for several
days shows that perhaps they took more than
the presented facts into account.
Ryder deserves a fair trial, just like everyone
else. However, as in the past, celebrities
and the wealthy tend to get a more than
a fair trial.
Ryder was found guilty of two of the three
charges against her. At least we know that
some justice can still be derived from the
system, but the problem does not end there.
Ryder could go to jail for up to three years.
We all know that’s not going to happen.
If celebrities can kill and get away with
it, then little ol’ Winona Ryder will get
off with a light slap on the hand, community
service and maybe a little counseling, no
problem.
The vast majority of us are taught from
a very early age that stealing is wrong.
If it were anyone else — non-celebrity —
being charged with stealing $5,500 from
Saks the same way that Ryder allegedly did,
it would be an instant felony. Strike one.
But Ryder is not just anyone, is she? She’s
a celebrity. All of us, including the jury
have practically watched her grow up on-screen
from “Beetlejuice” to “Mr. Deeds.” And nobody
can picture the waifish actress in the slammer
for three years, unless it is on the silver
screen, of course.
It would not have been surprising if Ryder
were acquitted of the charges, and it will
not be surprising if she is let off with
minimal punishment. What would be surprising
is Ryder being found guilty of the crimes
she is charged with and actually being held
accountable for them, in a jail-time type
of way. Imagine, a celebrity seeing the
consequences of her actions. That’ll be
the day.
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