Judge on 86-year-old shoplifter: 'She's an actress'
Ella Orko wore a neck brace as she sat in a wheelchair Monday and clutched her purse — as though she were afraidsomeone might pinch it.
The 86-year-old woman could easily have been mistaken for a crime victim waiting to testify, as she sat in court at Belmont and Western while a gruff clerk barked out case numbers and a young guy got the boot because he refused to remove his hat.
Ella Orko wore a neck brace and sat in a wheelchair during court on Monday. The presiding judge raised questions if the woman -- who police say has been arrested 61 times -- was really hard of hearing.
But there was little sympathy for Orko, who police say has been arrested 61times, including on Aug. 2, when she was caught trying to shoplift anti-wrinkle cream, packets of salmon, coffee and batteries from the Dominick’s store at Fullerton and Clybourn. Police say Orko has used at least 50 aliases during a life of petty crime.
At court Monday, skeptical workers questioned whether she really needed the wheelchair and neck brace — she was using neither when arrested last week. And the judge even doubted whether she was really hard of hearing.
“I’ve been doing this for a lot of years,” Judge Marvin P. Luckman said after the hearing. “She’s an actress.”
Orko was originally charged with a felony, but prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor in exchange for her guilty plea. Luckman then sentenced her to two days in jail, time she’s already served.
“We felt this was the appropriate disposition, after consulting with the victim ... and also based on the fact that all of the merchandise was returned,” said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
While in Luckman’s courtroom, Orko claimed to be too deaf to hear the judge, even though he was shouting.
“I can’t hear too good,” she mumbled.
Luckman asked a man in the back row if he could hear, and the man replied, “Every word.”
“I don’t know if she’s playing a game or if she’s serious,” said Luckman, who wears two hearing aids.
All the same, Luckman agreed to step down from his bench and stand directly in front of Orko as he took her guilty plea.
“Do . . . you . . . have . . . any . . . questions?!” Luckman bellowed, enunciating every word.
“No,” Orko said, adding, “Very seldom would some judge [step off the bench]. Thank you so much.”
As Orko, who lives in the city but was born in Poland, was wheeled away from the courthouse, she waved off a reporter wanting to chat.
“You’ve done enough damage,” she said.
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