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Minnesota Man's Ruby Slippers Hearing Postponed Indefinitely Due To Hospitalization

Jerry Hal Saliterman, of Crystal, Minn., is wheeled out of U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., March 15, 2024, after he made his initial appearance on charges connected to the 2005 theft of

A Minnesota man's hearing, where he was expected to plead guilty to hiding stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz,' has been postponed indefinitely. The 77-year-old man from Crystal was planning to change his plea to guilty at a hearing scheduled for this week but is currently hospitalized.

The man's attorney informed the court that he was hospitalized on January 3 due to an inability to walk and sepsis, a life-threatening infection. The defense lawyer stated that the man remains hospitalized, and doctors are unsure when he will be available for the hearing. Federal prosecutors did not object to the continuance.

The stolen ruby slippers, taken from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005, were recovered by the FBI in 2018 after nearly 13 years. They were recently sold for a record $32.5 million at auction. The man who stole the slippers, now 77 years old, pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to time served last January due to his poor health.

The case has garnered significant attention due to the iconic status of the ruby slippers and their connection to 'The Wizard of Oz.' The delay in the Minnesota man's hearing adds another chapter to the ongoing saga surrounding the stolen footwear.

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