Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 18, 1993                   TAG: 9312180161
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: C11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: from wire reports
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PEOPLE COLUMN

The Kansas waif from "The Wizard of Oz" was acquitted Thursday of murder in the water-soaking death of the Wicked Witch of the West. The judicial panel was a five-member jury of fourth-graders at Providencia School in Burbank, Calif.

"I was scared they were going to find me guilty," said Dorothy - portrayed by Molly Lynch - hugging a member of her defense team after the verdict was read.

If convicted, Dorothy could have been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and Cowardly Lion all testified. Toto wasn't charged.

Teacher Donna Schmidt said the mock trial was designed to help pupils understand the legal system.

\ Mariah Carey, the pop diva from Long Island, N.Y., is donating her profits from her hit single "Hero" to families of the Long Island train shooting victims. Six people who were shot on the train Dec. 7 have died.

\ The No. 1 celebrity bore for 1993: Vice President Al Gore, according to the Boring Institute of Maplewood, N.J. Others on the big-whoop list are David Letterman, Joey Buttafuoco, Shannen Doherty, Ross Perot and Roseanne and Tom Arnold.