Show 71 ' l’:' ' SHERMANS LAGOON ' f The Herald Journal Logan Utah Thursday June 20 1002 — C5 - Winona Ryder tries humor V-- wboot it OOM FOR MY me mnrr to defuse theft scandal LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winona Ryder has poked fun at her shoplifting arrest on “Saturday Night Live” the MTV Movie Awards and die cover of W magazine which featured her wealing a “Free Winona" Her publicist Man Buxbaum said the actress — who has pleaded innocent to shoplifting and drug charges — has only been trying to be “The jokes that were made were Buxbaum said “She was trying to joke about herself and at no level was she trying to be disrespectful to the courts and legal sysT-sh-irt CATHY UT ftVHR ME KAO mom brmwov- MM SCROOL CUttMHTM WHO? OLD uectRMtr ' J esse ti MCCWMOMD t mmt happened to ” UK MOD OUMMHS MHEM 'SOWIDi REAL MEN DCRNEOTMEM-8BNE- & BN THE C00UIES6 OF THEIR CARE T7f at m MCGERMO 'T OMMiMMNBIfr WR IK FIRST EN0U6M 6RA0E HOCKEW TEAM' tem” But prosecutors aren’t amused “Tma is a criminal case these are serious charges and not really a joking matter” said Sandi Gibbons a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney Ryder has been stuck trying to promote hew new comedy “Mr Deeds” while avoiding serious discussion of the felony case Other stars have used humor to blunt a scandal's edge although usually not until the legal matter has been settled said Alan Mayer one of Hollywood’s top publicists “If the charge is something that is not horrendously serious it’s not necessarily a bad idea to appear in public and not so much make light of it but at least indicate this is not a nuclear confrontation iri South Asia” said Mayer who represented Halle Berry in her case and comedian Paula 2000 Poundstone in her child endangennent case last year Hugh Grant's appearance on "The Tonight Show” in 1995 shortly after his arrest with a prostitute is considered a prime example rtf using humor to defuse a scandal But the actor joked only after apologizing publicly “I think it would be bollocks really to hide behind (excuses)” he told host Jay lino “I did a bad thing There you have it” Ryder however seems to be following in the footsteps of singer George Michael who has said he thinks that the unfavorable community service deal he got in 1998 was the result of a video he made satirizing the police who arrested him fix’ lewd conduct Ryder who declined to be interviewed for this article was arrested in December at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills for allegedly possessing painkillers without a prescription and stealing nearly $6000 worth of designer' merchandise ' e Charged with burglary grand theft vandalism and possession of a controlled substance the could face more than three years in prison if convicted A tentative trial date has been set for Aug 13 in state Superior Court Ryder’s attorney Mark Geragos says the incident was a misunderstanding turned into malicious prosecution So far prosecutors have rejected Ryder’s efforts to get her charges reduced to misdemeanors and have suggested that her alleged theft is part of a pattern of behavior “From just a human being’s perspective’’ said Gibbons of the district attorney’s office ‘ I don’t shop at Saks I’m more inclined at (discount store) Target as are most people I don’t know what kind of jury she’s going to AND ewecdOTtoea CiHM CAN X g” —TT CRRFCTET BEETLE BAILEY crisis-managem- car-cra-sh HAGAR THE HORRIBLE - PEANUTS second-degre- MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM AP Photo Actress Winona Ryder right srrives with her attorney Mark Geragos left As Ryder’s felony shoplifting case heads to trial and she promotes her new comedy Mr Deeds her Jokes about the incident have only rankled prosecutors while failing to create a groundswell of public sympathy have but if they’re people like me then perhaps they won’t be laughing either The arrest and its fallout have upstaged Ryder’s rotes in “Mr Deeds” which opens later this month with Adam Sandler and the sci-- fi drama “Simone” with A1 Pacino due in August Ryder’s last two projects the Satanic thriller “Lost Souls” 'the weepy romance “Autumn in New York" woe box office dis- I appointments Ryder and Sandler appeared on stage together during the MTV Movie Awards earlier this month and Sandler hemmed and hawed his way around her legal woes “I know that it’s on the minds of many' There’s millions of people watching You say Winona Ryder and people want to know this - ' sormgonnajustask”hesaid' The question: What was it like kissing her former boyfriend Johnny Depp? In her “SNL" monologue on May 18 Ryder deadpanned “You know people have been ' acting a little strange around here You know there’s like you luiow a lot of like locking of doors and — and shifty eyes and — and a lot of frisking” In a later shoplifting sketchshe mockingly scolded other characters for stealing ' Some sympathizers see Ryder’s arrest as a setup white other fans consider her behavior evidence of a troubled psyche “Fan or not Don’t you think her explanations have been a bit weak? Don’t you think her behavior has been a bit odd?" wrote admirer Darren Garrison in a Winona Ryder chat IP posting “Being a fan shouldn’t mean turning a blind eye” ' Said Mayer “It’s not enough for (a celebrity) to be innocent of die charges They have to act in the way that the public expects an innocent person to act” Names in the nows Shaggy’s a dad LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shaggy ’sadad' : Actor Matthew Lilian! who plays the ditzy latter-da- y beatnik Shaggy in die adaptation of “Scooby-Doo- ” became a father last Thursday Lillatd’s wife Heather gave birth 'to a baby girl on the day before opened The couple who were mar- - tied in 2000 named their daughter Addison GraceLil- lard The baby weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces Other film credits for 32 include ”13 Ghosts” “Scream” and “Serial Moth” live-actio- FOXTROT A ok ok my BUT XX STAMMS! FAMWCDffX DON'T ’ EAT SOMETMrM MV EMMS BoOV PE7IR SET OUT OF TICK! OWNER? M HALF-HOU- STOMACH sem much HEM HAVE SWF MU MPLOK! n “Scoo-by-Do- A CARROT o” - ' EXA‘I’ KRApNM S- Lil-la- V REAL LIFE ADVENTURES CLOSE TO HOME - rd By PhHIto Aider K' a Mylar balloon mth tr set ASS ON IT FOR MY dlKTHOAYl i i xrt SO 7NMUG0 ZrtsOMSIOTte MY OtuN r VM i l o f - 'i L write column NEW fORK (AP) — Amy Fisher who spent seven years in prison for shooting her lover’s wife in the head has been hired by a Long Island newspaper to write a biweekly - ' !" e inquiry over opener’s rebid often two of the unbid minor 'and promises at feast Having atrjgplid thumb tucking Bakf wont nightmare oomaathiiL -- ' oot-noArum-p 'S' f v v ' v v v column "She’s a natural writer” said Robbie Woliver edito-rof The New Island Ear which will publish Fisher’s first column on July 3 “If she wasn’t able to write we in-ch- ief prised The Amy Fishier we found was a little different ' thanthe girl that' we remember” Fisher made headlines in ' 1992 when as a ’ high school senior having an affair with auto mechanip Joey Buttafuoco sheshot and wounded his wife Mary Jo Buttafuoco Woliver asked Fisher —now a ' single mother — to write a story about her account of fife after prison That story will appear in the June 20 edition of the free newspaper which is available only on Long ' t i : Island values ‘ the ment but they admired ' exceQent defense 02002N£A - Since checkback keeps the bidding low to facilitate fur- ther investigation it is highly recommended) The defenders took the first three tricks in hearts then East cast adrift with a diamond Declarer having to play die trumps without loss seems to be about to get lucky Howev- er after he overtop his dia mohd king with dummy s ace and called for dte spade five East smocithly played the kin Xakingthis card at face value South ijpxt ted a trump to dumogr’t tune but East! : tbe W to defeat tba contract ' Note that if East plays the spade 10 on fee first round declarer finesses his queep and qashed fee ace wife grati fying results for his side North)i and South felt that East had spoiled their entertain- - ' North A 5 K 6 4 ¥ AT ¥ : 72 j: 54 t0 7 ¥ Q J Q 10 9 6 '2' ' 7 East k to" 1 A 9 2 3 2 ' J7649 5 - 'South A '0 )9 VMt ' I 'V' ' : AQ643 ¥ 53 tii?Qiof i : t 'f - ' ' ' f v V Etealer North Vulnerable fiast-We- st M 1 l -- gamp-(Som- pairs use BIRTHDAY MAtAJGR Mf v I'SoiiA’ilforeelubiump rebid wuhatural apd cuhlFx cctyz TTOMYrtRtsr umn We were very very sur- Fisher to game-invitatio- Desiderius Erasmus the great Dutch humanist who died in 1536 wrote ?Ask a wise mah tb dinner and he’ll upset everyone by his gfoimiy silence or tiresome questions Invite hipi to dance and you’ll have a camel prancing abou( Haul him off to a public entertainment and his lace will be enough to spoil the s entertainment” At the bridge table though a (Wise man will do well and be in big demand as a partner How will the play in four spades? r MiATA LUCKY (UFeX Art TO wouldn’t have her do this col- i openedlas at bridge Win r ” "Scooby-Doo- the runaway No lfilmov the weekend scaring up a ' huge debut of $542 million i : i l'l I Soutfi 1 34b r 4 Wwli North Paia v' 1 NT Pasa :3 iPW: East PaM Paw ' r i s i Paaa Opening lead: M ' ¥Q S' V |