According to the Los Angeles district attorney’s office, People v. Ryder has always been just a “simple case of theft.” Said prosecutor Ann Rundle in her closing arguments Monday, “She came, she stole, she left. End of story.” But Winona Ryder’s attorney says it’s hardly that simple. He says his client is a conspiracy victim–claiming that Saks had set Ryder up and even erased surveillance video that could exonerate the actress.
Ryder’s fate is now in the hands of a jury. Will it be three years behind bars? Herewith, a primer on the shoplifting trial of the century:
Shoplifting–or Just Shopping?
The Prosecution says:
Ryder committed three felony counts of burglary, grand theft and vandalism during a 90-minute shoplifting spree at Saks on Dec. 12, 2001. The actress stole 20 items, ranging from a $1,500 Gucci dress to a $15 pair of socks. The charges carry a possible three-year prison term.
The Defense says:
Ryder was on a legitimate shopping excursion, during which she purchased more than $3,000 worth of goods. Her credit card slip was left unsigned after her initial purchase of a pair of $275 YSL shoes. This implies that Ryder’s account was left “open,” allowing her to add items to the tab.
When Was She Noticed?
The Prosecution says:
Store security first noticed Ryder after surveillance videos caught her wandering “suspiciously” through the store. Security initially thought Ryder was a homeless person, as she was loaded down by a baggy coat, a tote bag, numerous shopping bags and a garment bag.
The Defense says:
Overzealous security guards recognized Ryder early on and set her up, eager to please their bosses with a big celebrity catch.
Missing Surveillance Video?
The Prosecution says:
Store surveillance video shows Ryder trying to conceal numerous small items, such as socks and hair accessories, into a bag.
The Defense says:
It’s Saks Fifth Avenue that’s done the concealing. They erased surveillance video that could exonerate Ryder by showing all of her interactions with store clerks. Additionally, the allegedly pilfered hair ornaments are so hideous that Ryder (“known for her fashion sense,” her lawyer said during closing arguments) would not be caught dead wearing them.
A Dressing Room Spy?
The Prosecution says:
Saks security officer Colleen Rainey performed a “fitting room observation” of Ryder through the slats of a second floor dressing room. Rainey says she saw Ryder on the floor, wrapping up merchandise in tissue paper, and placing it in one of her shopping bags. She says she also saw Ryder use a pair of scissors to cut sensor tags from pricey YSL and Marc Jacobs blouses, as well as two handbags. Rainey added that Ryder cut herself and bled on a Calvin Klein purse trying to remove the sensor tag.
The Defense says:
Rainey has changed her story so much as to not be credible. Her initial written reports said nothing about Ryder cutting off sensor tags. This embellishment came only after the Beverly Hills Police Department and district attorney’s office embarrassed itself by making the false claim that Ryder was on videotape cutting off the tags.
Personnel Behavior
The Prosecution says:
After gathering up nearly $6,000 worth of unpaid designer blouses, socks, hair ornaments and handbags, Ryder calmly walked out of the store. She later made conflicting statements to loss-prevention personnel, such as, “Didn’t my assistant pay for this?” and “I was told to shoplift for a role I’m going to be playing,” store personnel said on the witness stand.
The Defense says:
Saks personnel were abusive, rude and planted evidence on Ryder during their forced interrogation of her. In the most egregious of violations, the defense accused Rainey of going through Ryder’s Filofax and obtaining the phone numbers of Keanu Reeves and Bono. (Rainey denied this.)
Cut Sensor Tags?
The Prosecution says:
Ryder can be seen on videotape hiding the cut sensor tags in the pocket of a coat while in the Gucci section of Saks. Store security manager Ken Evans claims he later found the matching tags in the store’s Chanel boutique.
The Defense says:
Something is fishy with the sensor tags. They were never dusted for Ryder’s prints, and, in an O. J.-like blunder, the Beverly Hills Police Department admits that it didn’t properly book the tags into evidence. Finally, her lawyer said in closing argument that Ryder’s “fashion sense” would preclude her from wearing items with holes cut in them from missing tags.
A Conspiracy to “Get” Ryder?
The Prosecution says:
Saks employees were simply “doing their jobs” and had no incentive to lie.
The Defense says:
Ryder is victim of conspiracy of lies, prompted by Saks’ desperate attempt to avoid civil liability. Defense says that Saks employees Rainey and Evans are deserving of the “twin devils of deception” moniker given to Dets. Phillips and Vannatter by Johnnie Cochran during the O. J. Simpson case. Both Evans and Rainey had motives to lie and even plant evidence. Rainey had formed a lucrative “writing service” (she wouldn’t elaborate on that) and married a screenwriter shortly after Ryder was charged by police. A disgruntled former Saks employee claimed on the witness stand that Evans told him he was going to do “whatever it takes to get that rich Beverly Hills bitch”–meaning Ryder.
Closing Arguments
The Prosecution says:
Nothing to the defense but “misdirection, insinuation, accusations and speculation.”
The Defense says:
Reasonable doubt.
