A New York judge pushed back after Selma Blair's lawyers asked for leniency during her arraignment, saying that the actress will not receive special treatment because of her celebrity status. The 54-year-old "Cruel Intentions" star appeared in Queens Criminal Court on Monday after she was accused of assaulting a police officer and a nurse following an alleged mid-air meltdown on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York.
During the hearing, Blair's lawyer Joshua Reitzas urged Judge Indira Kahn to consider the actress' career and public work. "Consider her body of work and what she's done for people," Reitzas said, before describing Blair as "the gold standard." The argument did not appear to sway the judge.
"Blair should not get special treatment because she is a celebrity," Kahn responded. The judge set bail at $20,000 cash or a $60,000 bond.
Blair later posted bail and was released. Blair had been travelling aboard Delta Flight 938 when she allegedly struck one flight attendant and bit another, forcing crew members to restrain her.
After the plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, prosecutors said Blair repeatedly kicked a Port Authority police officer while being taken to hospital and later kicked a nurse at Jamaica Hospital.
Her lawyers said the actress had missed several doses of medication used to manage her multiple sclerosis and had been exhausted from working long hours. They also said Blair hit her head during the flight, arguing that the combination of those factors left her severely confused and disoriented.
"This was not an intentional assault," attorney Shawn Barnes told the court. Blair faces two state assault charges and is also expected to face a federal charge over the alleged incident aboard the aircraft.
She is due back in court on January 19. Legal analysts note that high-profile cases often draw intense public and media scrutiny, putting additional pressure on both the defense teams and the judiciary to maintain strict adherence to legal standards.
Court proceedings are expected to continue next month as prosecutors gather further witness testimonies and medical reports regarding the defendant's condition at the time of the flight. Both defense and prosecution teams declined to comment outside the courtroom following Monday's hearing, leaving many questions unanswered until the upcoming court date.