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News

Guy Who Smashed Donald Trump's Star Faces Up To Three Years In Jail

By  Carman Tse
Published Nov 17, 2016 11:00 PM
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The man who smashed Donald Trump's star, much to the chagrin/delight of people, is now having to deal with the fallout for his destructive act of protest.James Lambert Otis, a Dr. Seuss fanatic and presumptive heir to the Otis Elevator fortune, has been charged with felony vandalism. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced the charge on Thursday and said Otis faces a possible three years in jail.

Otis smashed the star, which sits in front of the Hollywood and Highland Center, early on the morning of October 26 with a pickaxe and sledgehammer. Despite doing it during the wee hours, Otis said he was not afraid of the consequences he would face, saying, "I'm not frightened of jail and I'm certainly not frightened of Mr. Trump." He turned himself in to police later that day.

Removing the entire star, as he originally planned, ended up being too much trouble, so he hacked away at it and removed the brass emblem and nameplate. Otis said he planned on selling the pieces to raise money for the legal fees of the women who have accused Trump of sexual assault. Last week, he said he planned on suing Donald Trump over the star because it's presence attracted undue attention to the area and was a strain on public resources.

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The star, which has previously been defaced and had a wall built around it, is in the process of being replaced by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, but isn't yet ready for Inauguration Day:

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