Miss Washington-Usa To Keep Crown For Now

Staci Baldwin will be Miss Washington-USA for at least 10 more days.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly issued a temporary restraining order Thursday telling Oregon Pageants Inc. to let the 27-year-old Kirkland woman keep her crown temporarily.

Baldwin sued the contest organizers after they told her this spring she must relinquish her title because she will be too old for the Miss USA pageant next February. Defendants are Oregon Pageants and Miss Universe Inc., which runs the Miss USA contest.

The aspiring actress is seeking $1 million in damages and a permanent injunction that would prevent the defendants from taking her title. The winner of the Miss USA contest goes on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Baldwin has said that Donna Lee, Oregon Pageants president, told her she would be too old to compete in the Miss USA pageant and demanded she give up her crown. But Baldwin said Lee knew her age all along, and presented documents in court to support the claim.

A lawyer for the Miss Universe organization, Steve Rummage, said it was Oregon Pageants, not the Miss Universe group, that asked Baldwin to give up her title.