It seems Lindsay Lohan cannot stay out of trouble. The washed-up actress rejected a plea deal Wednesday for a felony grand theft charge for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, California jewelry store. However, the details of the plea deal were undisclosed. (At least to my knowledge.) Nonetheless, A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 22, in which a judge will hear evidence & decide if the theft case should go to trial. In addition, the same judge will decide if Lohan violated her probation for a 2007 drunk driving conviction by being charged with the felony.
As bad as all this sounds, Lohan may have a promising defense considering it was revealed this month that the representative from the jewelry store who accused Ms. Lohan of theft has been conspiring with an agent about a possible book deal. It should also be noted that the jewelry store sold the rights to the security video of Lohan in the store on the alleged day of the crime. Therefore, the jewelry store may have alternative motives in accusing a high-profile celebrity of theft.
Either way, the penalty for a felony grand theft conviction ranges from 16 months to three years in a California state prison. The exact term would be based on the value of the property stolen & the criminal record of the defendant. Shoplifting offenses are charged as petty theft if the property taken is valued at less than $950...
Verdict: She's a Train wreck. Lohan has been in court nine times in the past 10 months, mostly for hearings related to probation violations for her drunk driving case. She did a short stint in jail in 2010, but also checked into substance abuse rehab twice under court order. It's clear judges hate her by their interaction & statements towards the young actress. Whether they are justified I simply do not care. However, as always, I do hope the facts of the case are accurately discerned so that justice can be properly served.
