Lawyer enters no contest plea for Lohan in theft

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A lawyer entered a no contest plea Wednesday for Lindsay Lohan in the theft of a necklace, setting the stage for a summer of confinement, counseling and community service.

Defense attorney Shawn Holley made the plea for the actress, who did not appear in court in the misdemeanor case involving a $2,500 necklace taken from an upscale shop in the Venice area of Los Angeles.

Lohan, 24, did not acknowledge guilt through the plea, but the court will log the case as a conviction.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered Lohan to serve a 120-day jail sentence and remain on probation in a 2007 drunken driving case while she completes 480 hours of community service and undergoes psychological counseling.

The judge ordered the additional counseling after reviewing a probation report that detailed a series of relapses by Lohan, including a positive test for alcohol in February, a little more month after she was released from rehab.

The report, prepared in February, also said authorities found evidence the actress had been drinking while receiving treatment at the Betty Ford Center.

Lohan had been sent to Betty Ford for three months of treatment last year after failing a drug screen. The report indicated she had tested positive for cocaine and amphetamines during the court-mandated drug test in September.

A rehab worker at the center accused Lohan of pushing her during a confrontation over curfew in December. Lohan was not charged in the case, but police investigated claims she and some companions from rehab were drinking.

“The police report also noted that interviews with restaurant employees, hotel employees, and nightclub employees support the statements that (Lohan) drank alcohol on the night of the disturbance,” the probation report states.

Holley did not return an email message seeking comment on the probation report.

A probation officer stated in the report that despite the relapses, Lohan appeared to be making progress with her treatment and should receive continued substance abuse counseling.

Sautner disagreed with the recommendation Wednesday, saying she didn’t think Lohan had a substance abuse problem.

“She has other problems, which she self-medicates,” the judge said.

In addition to counseling, community service and jail sentence, Lohan will have to complete an anti-shoplifting class.

The “Mean Girls” star was expected to serve only a fraction of the jail time due to jail overcrowding. She might be eligible for house arrest, but that decision won’t be made until Lohan reports for jail on or before June 17.

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