Tom Hanks on jury leads to reduced charge in case
By Marc Istook, Special to CNN
September 12, 2013 — Updated 0025 GMT (0825 HKT)
Despite being one of the biggest celebrities around, Tom Hanks has a reputation for being a man of the people. Case in point: The actor quietly reported to jury duty in Los Angeles before the case came to an abrupt end. It was another one of those rare moments when celebrities step out of their reality and into ours. Here are a few more… 
Dr. Mehmet Oz, left, and plumber David Justino assisted at the scene of a car accident when a woman was hit by a taxi in New York. 
Dick Van Dyke, 87, and his wife, Arlene, were helped by good Samaritans to escape from their Jaguar, which caught fire on the Ventura Freeway in Calabasas, California.
Dave Matthews gave one of his fans the experience of a lifetime when he hopped into the back of her car to catch a ride to his show after his bike broke down. The fan, Emily Kraus, has said how kind Matthews was, inviting her and her boyfriend to dinner and giving them front row seats to the concert.
Jay-Z proved that he’s not too famous for NYC’s subway when he took the train to a performance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in 2012. The artist chatted with another artist, Ellen Grossman, along the way.
Most celebrities will announce their presence months before they arrive anywhere, especially if it’s an event that will bring them positive press. But when Tom Cruise gave a commencement speech to aspiring actors at Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California, on July 14, he showed up completely unannounced. One source told the New York Post that it was “one of the most inspiring speeches we’ve had.”
Country singer Craig Morgan jumped to the rescue on June 9 when he saw a highway crash ahead of his bus in Humphreys County, Tennessee. Since Morgan is a trained EMT, he helped put out a small fire and get everyone involved to safety.
Not long before Craig Morgan’s rescue work, John Malkovich came to a civilian’s aid as well. The actor was in Toronto when he rushed to the side of an older gentleman who’d fallen and had hit his head on a scaffolding pole. Malkovich kept the man and his wife calm until paramedics arrived, and was sure to apply pressure to the man’s wound.
stayed by the side of a sick woman who was lying on the ground and in need of care in June 2012. Lawrence remained put until paramedics arrived on the scene in Santa Monica, California. ” border=”0″ height=”360″ id=”articleGalleryPhoto009″ style=”margin:0 auto;display:none” width=”640″/>Jennifer Lawrence, too, isn’t too “Hollywood” to help out a stranger. The Oscar-winning actress stayed by the side of a sick woman who was lying on the ground and in need of care in June 2012. Lawrence remained put until paramedics arrived on the scene in Santa Monica, California. 
Ryan Gosling made his fans swoon when he stepped in to break up a fight in the streets of New York City in August 2011. The next year, he was also credited with saving a woman from walking in front of a speeding car in the Big Apple.
saved Malibu, California, resident Weston Masset after his Ford Mustang flipped over. Armed with a crowbar and a fire extinguisher, Dempsey pulled the 17-year-old from the wreckage and waited with him until the paramedics arrived. He even called the kid’s mother! ” border=”0″ height=”360″ id=”articleGalleryPhoto0011″ style=”margin:0 auto;display:none” width=”640″/>Patrick Dempsey came to a teen’s rescue in April 2012. The “Grey’s Anatomy” heartthrob saved Malibu, California, resident Weston Masset after his Ford Mustang flipped over. Armed with a crowbar and a fire extinguisher, Dempsey pulled the 17-year-old from the wreckage and waited with him until the paramedics arrived. He even called the kid’s mother! 
David Lee Roth is another celeb who can assist in an emergency. The rocker switched gears from music to medical help in 2004 when he worked as an EMT in New York. 
Dustin Hoffman was taking a walk through London’s Hyde Park last year when he came to the rescue of a jogger who was having heart trouble. Hoffman worked quickly when he saw the 27-year-old man “staggering and frothing at the mouth” before collapsing, according to the London Evening Standard. The actor called for help and made sure the man was on his back, staying with him until medical services arrived.
Since her relocation to New York City, Katie Holmes has been seen out taking full advantage of the city that never sleeps. Aside from frequently strolling the streets of New York like a regular Joe, Holmes was also photographed sneaking in a catnap on the subway in November 2012.HIDE CAPTION
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Oscar winner Tom Hanks serves jury duty in Los Angeles
- As the case was wrapping up, a lawyer thanks him for his service
- Lawyers and jurors cannot interact outside of the courtroom
- The case was settled, rather than decided by jury
(CNN) — Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks played a role in the surprise ending of a domestic assault case in Los Angeles, according to defense attorney Andrew Flier.
Hanks had been serving as a juror in the trial since it started last week. Flier’s client was facing up to a year in jail and the attorney was prepared to offer closing arguments in the case on Wednesday. Instead, as proceedings wrapped Tuesday, September 10, the prosecuting attorney revealed that another lawyer in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office had interacted with Hanks outside the courtroom, thanking him for his service. As a result, Flier asked the court for a mistrial, citing prosecutorial misconduct. In a hearing on Wednesday morning, lawyers on both sides of the case convened and settled on a reduced charge for the defendant: disturbing the peace and a $150 fine.
City Attorney’s Office spokesperson Frank Mateljan confirmed the interaction with Hanks, saying, “The city attorney has been appraised of the situation and will be reviewing it.”
CNN reached out to representatives for Hanks for comment, but has not heard back.
Flier said he was initially concerned having a Hollywood star on the jury would unfairly influence the case’s outcome. “I think because of his celebrity status and because of his personality, I think (the jury) would have followed him.” But after interviewing Hanks in jury selection, Flier decided he was a good fit for the final slot on the jury. “He never looked or made any statements like he wanted to get off jury duty. So based on everything, he seemed like a very fair juror,” Flier said.
Hanks’ appearance didn’t only affect proceedings inside the courtroom. Flier said the star also drew quite a crowd of photographers and fans outside the courthouse afterward. “Everyone was taking photographs. He was smiling. He welcomed anybody,” Flier said. If the case hadn’t ended in a plea, Flier said he doesn’t know how Hanks would have voted. “He looked at me like he always had, smiled and said, ‘I was going to vote the way of justice.’ So he never disclosed what that justice was headed for, the defense or the prosecution.”
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