Ah, Tinseltown justice.
The round peg of celebrity squished into the square hole of the law. The intersection of Hollywood and crime has drawn rubberneckers since movie making began. From silent screen comic Fatty Arbuckle, accused in the death of a woman who'd been viciously raped during a liquor-soaked party he threw, to Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder, caught on tape pilfering designer duds in a Saks’ dressing room, the trials of matinee idols enthrall.
After every court decision, the public renders its own verdict and the results have been as unpredictable as box office receipts. Some stars seemed permanently consigned to the defendant’s chair: Arbuckle was tried three times and, after two hung juries, acquitted on manslaughter charges but his career never recovered. Ryder got community service for shoplifting and has yet to regain her A-list status.
But others get Hollywood happy endings: Robert Downey Jr. emerged from drug charges as an even more respected actor. Errol Flynn didn’t miss a swashbuckling beat during his trial for statutory rape. He was acquitted and had lined up a new bride before leaving the courthouse – the 17-year-old girl who sold cigarettes at the Hall of Justice.
— Harriet Ryan, who has covered celebrity justice for the Los Angeles Times since 2008
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Here's a look at a few of the stars on the Walk of Fame who have crossed paths with the law:
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