Minnesota Man’s Hearing Postponed Indefinitely Due to Hospitalization

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. –

A scheduled hearing where a Minnesota man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, was expected to plead guilty to hiding stolen ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” has been postponed indefinitely. This decision came after Saliterman’s attorney informed the court that his client is currently hospitalized.

U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz approved the continuance following a request from Saliterman’s defense lawyer, John Brink. The hearing, where Saliterman planned to change his plea to guilty, was originally set for this week.

Brink explained that Saliterman was hospitalized on January 3 due to mobility issues and sepsis, a serious infection. As of Wednesday, Saliterman remained in the hospital, and his availability for future court dates is uncertain. Federal prosecutors did not object to the postponement.

Saliterman appeared at his arraignment via video on Monday, appearing to be in a hospital room. Last March, during his initial court appearance, he was seen in a wheelchair and using supplemental oxygen. He faces charges of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering in connection to the stolen ruby slippers.

The iconic ruby slippers were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids in 2005. The FBI recovered them in 2018 after nearly 13 years of mystery surrounding their whereabouts. The slippers were recently sold for a record-breaking $32.5 million at auction by Heritage Auctions.

The individual responsible for the theft, Terry Jon Martin, also 77 years old and from Grand Rapids, pleaded guilty in 2023. Due to his declining health, Martin was sentenced to time served in January of the following year.

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 pair of ruby slippers worn by Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)