Judge Rejects Actress Selma Blair's 'Gold Standard' Defense in Assault Case
Queens judge denied special treatment for the actress during her arraignment on assault charges.
Lawyers for actress Selma Blair argued for leniency before a Queens judge, describing her as "the gold standard" following her second mid-air incident. However, the judge rejected the notion that her celebrity status warranted special treatment.
During Blair's arraignment on assault charges Monday night, one of her lawyers, Joshua Reitzas, stated, "Consider her body of work and what she's done for people. This is someone we should look up to. She is the gold standard."
Judge Indira Kahn, who had previously denied a request to have the actress uncuffed for the proceeding, responded, "Ms. Blair should not get special treatment because she is a celebrity."
Kahn set Blair's bail at $20,000 cash or a $60,000 bond, which the actress posted and was subsequently released.
Blair was arrested Sunday night after an incident on Delta Flight 938 from Los Angeles to Kennedy Airport. According to reports, she allegedly became violent, biting one flight attendant and attacking another before being restrained by the crew. This led to a federal assault charge.
Upon landing, Blair was taken to Jamaica Hospital in Queens for evaluation. She allegedly kicked a police officer in the head during transport and assaulted a nurse at the hospital, leading to the two assault charges addressed in Monday's arraignment.
Blair's legal team cited her multiple sclerosis and stated that she was off her medication and exhausted from work during the incident. They also noted her past struggles with alcoholism. In a previous incident in 2016, Blair had a similar mid-air episode, which she attributed to mixing alcohol and medication, causing her to black out.
In her 2022 memoir, Blair described her public interactions as difficult, stating, "My system gets overwhelmed and instantaneously short-circuits."