One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
80-Year-Old Int'l Jewel Thief And Subject Of Halle Berry Film, Sentenced To 16 Months In Prison
Doris Payne, the 80-year-old jewel thief charged with stealing a $16,000 ring from a Santa Monica store in October, pleaded no contest and has been sentenced to 16 months in prison, according to ABC Local.
The career heister and fascinating subject of Halle Berry's upcoming feature Who Is Doris Payne?, will serve this sentence concurrently with the five-year prison term she is already serving for a theft in San Diego County.
Domestically, Payne's sticky fingers have touched California, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky and Colorado. Internationally, the five-decade criminal has had her way with Greece, France, England and Switzerland, according to an in-depth Associated Press story during her prison stint in 2005.
More recently, San Diego County Superior Court Judge Frank Brown sentenced Payne in February to the maximum five years saying, "[She] won't stop...That's the problem here... She's a thief. She's charming. Santa Claus' wife, that's who she is," notes to ABC News.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
