Judge Restores Pageant Title

Three months after the Miss Washington crown was placed upon her head, 27-year-old Staci Baldwin now can start acting like a pageant winner.

At least for the time being.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly issued a preliminary injunction Monday against pageant officials who said Baldwin was too old to keep the title.

Baldwin, who turned all of 27 years old last month, had been in beauty-queen limbo since May as she fought a request by Donna Lee, director of Oregon Pageants Inc., to forfeit the title.

Pageant rules state that entrants in the Miss Washington-USA Pageant must be single and between the ages of 17 and 26.