Winona Gets Gold Star
by Marcus Errico E! Online
Dec 15, 2003, 2:45 PM PT
Here's a switch--Winona Ryder actually cracked a smile in court
Monday.
The Age of Innocence/guilty of shoplifting actress, who has logged
some serious court time since her arrest, conviction and subsequent
probation for her illicit Saks spree, flashed a quick smile as a judge
gave her a gold-star-worthy progress report.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
"Ms. Ryder, I want to compliment you on your conduct on probation,"
said Judge Elden S. Fox during a brief hearing in his Beverly Hills
courtroom. "This is a very positive report...things are going well."
So well, the judge intimated, that he could strike the felony counts
against her down to misdemeanors if she keeps up the good work.
That prompted the usually stoic Ryder, in her typical all-black court
attire, to show her pearly whites. Otherwise, the 32-year-old,
two-time Oscar nominee was mum.
Ryder was convicted in November 2002 of felony grand theft and
vandalism, stemming from a four-figure shoplifting rampage at the
Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue in December 2001 (she was acquitted on
a commercial burglary charge). She was placed on three years'
probation, and ordered to pay about $10,000 in fines and restitution
and undergo counseling. She has already completed the mandated 480
hours of community service at the City of Hope Medical Center near Los
Angeles.
Although her actual progress report was sealed, Fox said Ryder had
been doing a bang-up job with her counseling, too.
Fox ordered the Reality Bites star to return to court May 26 for a
six-month review, and said he would decide then if she needs continued
probation supervision.
On a side note, Ryder was repped in court Monday by Shepard Kopp, not
Mark Geragos who had fronted for her in previous court appearances,
including an earlier progress report last April. Geragos, of course,
has his hands full with the Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson cases.
Aside from behaving herself, Ryder has been back at the day job. While
she lost out on a potentially plum post-arrest part in Woody Allen's
next comedy because, take your pick, (a) she couldn't come to contract
terms or (b) her felon status made her too expensive to insure, Ryder
does have a role in the independent drama The Heart Is Deceitful Above
All Things, due for art-house release next year, and is also on board
for the romance Embers.
--
Richard Steven Hack
"Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger" -
and YOU have not killed me!
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