Lindsay Lohan sentenced to FOUR months in jail as judge rules she violated probation

By Daily Mail Reporter


-Lohan plans to appeal decision and will be allowed to post bail - set at $75k
-Actress in tears as preliminary necklace theft case reaches climax
-Judge reduces felony grand theft charge to a misdemeanour

Back to jail: Lindsay Lohan arrives at the LAX courthouse in Los Angeles today for the preliminary hearing into her necklace case. After hearing evidence against her a judge ruled she had violated her probation and sentenced her to four months in jail


Lindsay Lohan has been sentenced to 120 days in jail for a probation violation after a judge heard evidence against the actress in her necklace theft case.

The actress's lawyer Shawn Chapman said she will appeal the ruling, which will allow the actress to post bail, which was set at $75,000

Judge Stephanie Sautner also ordered Lohan to serve more than 400 hours of community service, including 300 hours at a women's center.


Pensive: A court sketch shows Lohan sat next to her lawyer Shawn Chapman as jewllery store owner Kaman takes the witness stand


The ruling came after Sautner reduced Lohan's grand theft case down to a misdemeanor and after prosecutors gave their case against the actress.

It will be Lohan's fourth jail stint.

Sautner refused to dismiss the theft case against Lohan, but said she often sees more serious cases that get reduced to lesser charges.

'I see the intent here,' Sautner said. 'I see a level of brazenness with "Let me see what I can get away with here.'''

Sautner ruled that prosecutors had shown that Lohan violated her probation, but also said in reducing the charge that she was going to give the actress 'an opportunity.'

Lohan formally entered a not guilty plea at Friday's hearing. She is next due back in court on May 11 for a pre-trial hearing with the trial scheduled for June 3.

The 'Mean Girls' star arrived at the courthouse wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, blue trousers and a scarf.

Her father Michael Lohan was also in attendance and took a front row seat inside the court - where cameras have been banned.

The news came during a dramatic day at the LAX courthouse in Los Angeles, which culminated in Lohan breaking down in tears.

Various witnesses were brought to the stand throughout the day, including the owner of the jewellery store, the store clerk and the investigating officer from the LAPD.

Judge Sautner dismissed the motion to drop the case altogether, according to internet reports.

But it seems Lindsay's lawyer, Shawn Chapman, has managed to persuade the judge that the necklace was worth far less than $2,500.

Under California law, a crime only becomes grand theft if the value of the stolen goods exceeds $950.

Preliminary hearing: The actress wore a black top, Navy blue trousers teamed with an off-white scarf and wore her hair in an updo. She was accompanied by her lawyer Shawn Chapman, who wore a red dress


During the hearing Chapman had aruged the necklace was worth less than $2,500.

Furthermore Sofia Kaman, the owner of Kamofie & Co. - the Los Angeles jewellery store which Lohan allegedly stole from - admitted the store's mark-up price was two to three times that of the wholesale price.

The district attorney in the case, Jeanette Meyers, has said she will appeal the judges decision to reduce Lohan's charge from a grand theft to a misdemeanour, RadarOnline reports.

Solem: Lohan made no comment as she walked past photographers and journalists, seen right her father Michael Lohan who bagged a front row seat inside the court

Media frenzy: Photographers watch as the U.S. actress rides the elevator to the court room

Earlier, jewellery store owner Ms Kaman told the court she waited a day before reporting the necklace as stolen because the actress told her she would return later.

Taking to the witness stand she testified at Lohan's preliminary hearing, telling the court it took 10 minutes before she realised the actress had left wearing the necklace.

She said she waited to report the necklace missing to polcie because Lohan had told her she would return the next day to buy a ring.

Lohan, 24, has been accused of taking the necklace in January without permission.

Lohan has been a courthouse fixture since last May when she missed a hearing in her drunken driving case.

Since then, two judges have sent her to jail twice and rehab, also twice.

On Wednesday, Fiore Films announced it had cast the actress to play the wife of John Gotti Jr., the son of the infamous mob boss dubbed the 'Teflon Don,' in a biopic of the family.

The project, title, 'Gotti: Three Generations,' is scheduled to begin shooting later this year in Lohan's native New York.

In an interview with the AP, Lohan said she was eager to put her court cases behind her and once again be known as an actress.

'I'm really excited to be back on set and clear up all the misinterpretations about me and show this is what I love to do,' Lohan said.

'I think in the past, I had a lot of distractions,' she said. 'I've learned a lot. I've lived a lot. When I'm on set, it's about the film.'


Scene of the incident: The Kamofie & Co jewellery store in Venice, California


source:dailymail