Beverly Hills, California – Winona Ryder, the renowned film star, has been sentenced to three years of probation, mental health counseling, and 60 days of community service by a Los Angeles County judge for shoplifting designer merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
The judge, Elden Fox, warned Ryder that any future theft would result in jail time.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge expressed his disappointment in Ryder's refusal to take responsibility for her actions.
In addition to probation and community service, Ryder has been ordered to pay over $10,000 in fines, including $6,355.40 to Saks for stolen and damaged goods.
Had she not received this sentence, Ryder could have faced up to three years in state prison for felony grand theft and vandalism charges.
Throughout the hearing, Ryder chose not to make a statement, while her lawyer, Mark Geragos, argued that she had already faced excessive punishment due to public scrutiny.
He highlighted Ryder's charitable work with American Indian causes and the Polly Klaas Foundation for missing children.
However, prosecutor Ann Rundle objected strongly to references made about the Klaas Foundation, calling it offensive to bring up the tragedy of a dead child in this context.
Despite the objections, Marc Klaas, the father of the deceased girl, praised Ryder for her kindness and criticized the mention of his daughter.
Judge Fox issued several additional orders as part of Ryder's sentence.
Furthermore, she must participate in court-approved drug and psychological counseling programs.
A probation report revealed that when Ryder was arrested a year ago, she possessed a hypodermic needle and eight different prescription drugs.
The report also disclosed that between 1996 and 1998, Ryder obtained 37 prescriptions from 30 different doctors.
Investigations discovered that one of these doctors had written prescriptions under an alias for Ryder.
Ryder confessed to stealing $5,560 worth of merchandise from Saks, which included purses, hair pieces, hats, and a Gucci dress valued at $1,595.
Despite her possession of prescription drugs, Ryder claimed she had never used nonprescription drugs.
Following the sentencing, Ryder's publicist released a statement on her behalf, stating that she takes responsibility for her actions and is relieved to finally put this incident behind her.
She hopes to regain some privacy in her life moving forward.
Ryder is scheduled to appear in court on April 7 for a progress report, by which time she must have completed her community service.
