Share

Attorney: Lindsay will be exonerated

Los Angeles - Lindsay Lohan was charged on Thursday with crimes in New York and Los Angeles, marking her latest setbacks as she tries to revive her career and avoid a return to jail.

Prosecutors in Santa Monica charged Lohan with three misdemeanour's related to a June accident. Hours earlier, the actress was arrested and charged with third-degree assault (also a misdemeanour), after a woman was punched in a New York City nightclub.

The California charges came about six months after Lohan's Porsche crashed into the back of a dump truck. She told police her assistant was driving, but detectives now believe the actress was behind the wheel as she headed to a movie set.

Lindsay was subsequently charged with lying to police, reckless driving and obstructing a police officer from performing duties.

'Lindsay Lohan is a victim'

Her California attorney, Shawn Holley, said she could not comment on the crash-related charges.

In New York, her attorney Mark Heller said he expects the assault charge to be dismissed.

"Once again, Lindsay Lohan is a victim of someone trying to capture their 15 minutes of fame," Heller wrote in a statement.

"From my initial investigation, I am completely confident that this case will be concluded favourably and that Lindsay will be totally exonerated."

The California charges could trigger another probation violation for Lindsay, who was ordered to stay out of trouble when she was released from supervised probation in March after being convicted of the misdemeanour theft of a necklace and two driving under the influence charges.

Judge warns Lindsay

Since then, she has been arrested twice in New York, crashed her car on the Pacific Coast Highway, been treated by paramedics in her hotel room, and gotten in an argument with her mother that prompted an emergency services call.

None of the events are likely what the clearly relieved actress anticipated in March when she thanked Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, who warned the actress that she could face up to 245 days in jail if she violated her probation again.

"You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work," Sautner said.

In recent years, Lindsay has been sentenced to the Los Angeles-area women's jail five times. Most of her stays have been short due to overcrowding, and she was allowed to serve 35 days on house arrest in 2011.

Lately, Lindsay has been filming two movies and doing a cameo in the latest installment of the Scary Movie franchise. The first film, Liz & Dick, premiered Sunday night in the US and received mostly negative reviews.

Probation violation

On Thursday, police said Lindsay got into a spat with a woman at Club Avenue in the Chelsea area of Manhattan. The woman was hit in the face and did not require medical attention, authorities said. The star was charged with third-degree assault.

Her arrest on Thursday was the latest by New York police since September, when a man accused her of hitting him with her car. Prosecutors did not pursue charges.

The following month, police were called to Lindsay's childhood home on Long Island after a report of a fight between her and her mother. An investigation revealed what authorities called "no criminality."

It remains unclear when Lindsay will return to Los Angeles.

She left a police precinct nearly four hours later with a black jacket pulled over her head. No court date was announced for the crash-related charges.

People charged with misdemeanours in California can generally avoid court appearances if they have an attorney, but Lindsay would have to be present for a probation violation hearing.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE