LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lindsay Lohan rejected a judge’s offer to end a felony grand theft case early, and her attorney said Wednesday the reason is that the actress has a strong defense and is confident she can win an acquittal.
“Ms. Lohan has maintained her innocence from the moment this case was filed and she has never wavered,” attorney Shawn Chapman Holley wrote in a statement released hours after the actress informed a judge she would not accept his plea offer.
Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz never publicly detailed the terms of his offer to Miss Lohan but said if she pleaded no contest or guilty to taking a $2,500 necklace, he would sentence her to jail. Prosecutors also are seeking jail time for the “Mean Girls” star, who was on probation for a 2007 drunken driving case when a store told police that Miss Lohan had taken a necklace without permission in January.
“Though many advised her to follow the safe route by taking ’the deal,’ the truth is, Ms. Lohan is innocent; she has a strong defense; and we are confident that a jury will listen to the evidence fairly and acquit her,” Ms. Holley wrote.
Wednesday was the deadline for Miss Lohan to notify Judge Schwartz of her intentions, and she now will be required to appear in court on April 22 for a preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors charged Miss Lohan after a jewelry store accused her of taking the necklace without permission in January.
The preliminary hearing will be conducted by a new judge — the fourth one Miss Lohan has faced in the past year — who will determine whether there is enough evidence for Miss Lohan to stand trial on the felony grand theft charge.
If the judge rules Miss Lohan should stand trial, the actress could be sentenced immediately for a probation violation from the DUI case and sent to jail for the fourth time.
The actress, 24, has pleaded not guilty to the charge and repeatedly has denied wrongdoing.
Preliminary hearings have a lower burden of proof than jury trials and generally end with a judge’s ordering defendants to stand trial. Although Ms. Holley has the opportunity to present witnesses during the hearing, most defense attorneys opt not to divulge their strategy but rather to assess the strength of the evidence.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.