Poundstone Violation: Briefly Jailed

By Stephen M. Silverman

11/14/2001 at 05:05 PM EST

Comic Paula Poundstone was briefly jailed on Tuesday after a judge found that she had taken prescription medication in violation of her probation. (On Sept. 12, Poundstone had pleaded no-contest to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor inflicting injury on a child. The lewd conduct charges were dropped. Poundstone blamed drinking for some of her problems but insisted there was no lewd conduct.) At Tuesday's hearing in Santa Monica, Calif., Poundstone, 40, was removed from the courtroom in handcuffs after she admitted violating probation, then was brought back to court later in the day. "You've been in for half a day and I always let people have a break on the first violation," Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins told her. But, he added, "To me, this is a relapse rather than just a slip." Prosecutor Gina Satriano told reporters outside courthouse that the judge's actions were a common tactic in such cases. Defense attorney Steven Cron said his client was doing well before the violation and he was confident she will successfully complete rehabilitation. A spokesman for Poundstone said that it was a prescribed drug that she had taken. "Her counselor at (at the rehabilitation facility) found out she taken this medication and reported it to the judge," he said.