Los Angeles, March 11: Lindsay Lohan appeared in a Los Angeles court today and was granted more time to consider the plea deal offered her in the case of her alleged jewellery theft.
She was given a new deadline of March 25 to enter her decision on the deal.
A preliminary hearing on her case, before judge Stephanie Sautner, will be held in April if Lohan decides to reject the offer presented to her by Los Angeles Superior Court’s Douglas Schwartz in February.
Judge Schwartz was adamant in today’s hearing that any discussions on the deal must be kept confidential and he expressed amazement that gossip websites, like Radar Online and TMZ, were leaked the private discussions on the case.
“These guys ought to be in the foreign service,” Judge Schwartz said to laughter in court.
Dressed demurely in a beige long sleeve dress with an exposed zipper and a pendant on a gold necklace, Lohan was greeted by the usual throng of photographers and reporters outside the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse.
Lohan was charged with one count of felony grand theft for allegedly walking out of a jewellery boutique without paying for a $US2500 gold necklace on January 22.
The 24-year-old actress, who is on probation for a 2007 drink driving offence, was offered a plea deal but she was reportedly set to turn it down, because it came with jail time, and was ready to proceed to trial.
Lohan has maintained her innocence and expressed confidence she would be vindicated at a future trial. However, her request for more time to think it over may have been a sign that she is considering the offer.
On February 23, when the plea deal was first offered to the troubled actress, Judge Schwartz said Lohan would definitely spend time in the slammer.
“This case does involve jail time, period. If you plead in front of me, you are going to jail, period,” Judge Schwartz told her.
Lohan’s lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, prosecutor Danette Meyers and Judge Schwartz all met together yesterday to discuss amending the offer, but the judge refused to grant leniency.
——–Agencies