Lohan offered plea deal of 90 days in jail in jewelry theft case, source says

LOS ANGELES — Actress Lindsay Lohan faces a preliminary hearing on allegations she stole a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Calif.,
jewelry store unless she accepts an offer of no more than 90 days in
jail if she pleads guilty to grand theft, according to a source
familiar with the case.

Despite the offer last week by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz to Lohan’s lawyer, the actress has so far refused to consider any time
in jail and has insisted she never took anything intentionally, the
source said. If need be, she will go to trial, according to the source.

While Schwartz initially said Lohan would have a deadline of March 10 to resolve the case in his court, last week he set an interim court date of March 25.

He told the “Mean Girls” actress she would either
show up on that date, enter a plea and get some jail time or not appear
at all and the case would be set for a hearing before Judge Stephanie Sautner. The hearing would determine whether there is sufficient evidence to try the case.

Schwartz warned Lohan that Sautner would hear the
jewelry theft case while also considering whether the conduct amounted
to a violation of Lohan’s probation on a 2007 misdemeanor
drunken-driving conviction.

Sautner could jail Lohan on the probation violation if she finds the actress in violation even before a trial on the Jan. 22 alleged necklace theft.

Schwartz previously warned Lohan that any settlement
would result in her going to jail. He also said she would need to enter
court-supervised therapy and have a 12-step program sponsor independent
of her family and friends.

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