Lawyer dismisses new Winona Ryder video clip

The lawyer defending Winona Ryder against shoplifting charges says new video footage will not affect the case.

The 10-second snippet shows the moment she was first spotted in the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills.

Ryder could face up to four years in prison if convicted.

She is charged with theft, burglary, vandalism and possession of a pain reliever without a prescription.

But her lawyer Mark Geragos says of the new tape: "I don't think it's anything of any great moment."

Police had said Ryder had been seen on a closed-circuit camera using scissors to clip security tags from merchandise.

But Mr Geragos said a 90-minute surveillance tape that was leaked to the media earlier this month exonerates her.

"It clearly shows she wasn't doing what everybody said she was doing, which was removing things with scissors," he said.

A judge will decide after a preliminary hearing whether Ryder must stand trial.

Geragos and prosecutor Julie Jurek will return to court on Tuesday to agree on a date for the preliminary hearing.

Ryder, whose films include Girl interrupted and Edward Scissorhands, is free on $20,000 (€22,000) bail.