Following a chaotic arrival at JFK, Selma Blair entered a legal plea on Monday. The actress faces two state assault charges after an incident on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles.
The alleged violence on Delta Flight 938 from LA to JFK
Selma Blair faces two state assault charges following a physical disturbance aboard a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport late Sunday night. As reported by CNN, the incident involved multiple injuries to crew members and law enforcement. The criminal complaint states that Blair allegedly bit one flight attendant and caused lacerations to another during the flight.
The physical altercation reportedly extended beyond the aircraft during the arrest process.. According to a state prosecutor, Blair allegedly kicked a Port Authority officer, causing facial swelling and arm pain,and also kicked a nurse at a hospital.. Law enforcement officers reportedly had to use plastic restraints to subdue the actress, and she was released from custody following a $20,000 bail payment.
Shawn Barnes cites MS and parkinsonism in defense
Defense attorney Shawn Barnes argues that Blair's actions were not intentional acts of assault. He informed the court that the actress was suffering from a severe medical crisis brought on by exhaustion and missed medication. Barnes noted that Blair, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018, was also struggling with parkinsonism. The attorney further claimed that Blair had hit her head on a bulkhead during the flight, which may have contributed to her erratic behavior.
The unanswered scope of the FBI's summons
The FBI's involvement remains a central uncertainty in the ongoing investigation. While the Associated Press reported that the FBI has issued a summons regarding her actions on the aircraft, the specific nature of these potential federal charges remains unverified. It is currently unclear if the federal government will pursue independent counts or if the investigation will focus solely on the state-level assault charges. furthermore, the defense's claim that a neurological crisis was the primary driver of the violence has yet to be independently confirmed by medical experts.
Echoes of a 2016 Cancun flight incident
Blair's history with flight-related legal issues provides significant context for the current proceedings. In 2016, she was removed from a flight traveling from Cancun to Los Angeles following an unruly episode that required medical attention. At that time, she publicly apologized, attributing her behavior to the interaction between her medication and alcohol. This previous incident highlights a recurring pattern of medical and behavioral challenges during commercial air travel that now sits at the heart of her January 19 court date.
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