Lindsay Lohan faces jail over gem theft, US judge warns

LOS ANGELES—A judge warned troubled US starlet Lindsay Lohan on Wednesday that she faces jail, as she appeared in court again over the theft of a $2,500 necklace from a Los Angeles jewelry store.

Judge Keith Schwarz told the 24-year-old that she would be sent to jail if she pleads guilty under a deal offered by prosecutors, connected with an earlier probation violation.

“This case does involve jail time – period,” he said. “If you plead in front of me – if this case resolves in front of me – you are going to jail. Period. It may be an issue as to amount of time.”

The actress, who could have been ordered back into detention immediately, was told to appear in court again on March 10 over the alleged theft in January near her home.

She could ask for a trial instead of pleading guilty.

Dressed in a black top and ivory-colored pants, she sat quietly and conferred with her lawyer during the brief hearing, and afterwards left without saying anything to waiting reporters.

Lohan, who completed a court-ordered spell in rehab for drug addiction last month, allegedly walked out of the jewelry store in Venice Beach – the seafront area of LA where she lives – with the gold necklace on January 22.

The actress, who is on probation for a 2007 drunk driving offense, could face up to three years in jail if convicted on the grand theft charge. She pleaded not guilty in a first appearance on February 9.

District attorney Danette Meyers has offered a plea bargain, but the judge voiced doubt about prospects for a deal, saying: “I get the impression you’re not going to accept the DA’s offer.”

If no settlement is reached by the March 10 court appearance, Lohan will face another judge, Stephanie Sautner, to determine if there was enough evidence for the star to stand trial.

He added that Lohan should get a “good sponsor,” who should not be a relative, to help her legal case.

“You need to get a reliable, trustworthy and reasonable sponsor unrelated to any of your family members … someone unrelated to you who is not moved by anything other than seeing that you succeed,” he said.

Lohan checked out of the Betty Ford clinic near Palm Springs last month, following a spell there after she was briefly jailed in September for failing a court-ordered drug test.

Lohan was sentenced in July to serve 90 days in jail and another 90 days in rehab for violating her probation in a drunk-driving case. But due to jail overcrowding, she served just 13 days before being freed to the detox facility.

A queen of Hollywood nights and a favorite target of the paparazzi, the former Disney child star was once considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

But Lohan’s career has dipped many times since 2005 amid legal woes, visits to rehab and movie flops.

In 2007, she spent just 84 minutes in jail after police arrested her twice for cocaine possession while driving — in one instance crashing her Mercedes-Benz into a tree.

In 2008, the “Parent Trap” star received two Razzie Awards, the satirical prizes presented to Hollywood’s worst acting performances.