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Lindsay Lohan Home Detention to Follow No Contest Plea?

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on May 11, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Who says life in Hollywood is always fabulous? For notorious bad girl Lindsay Lohan, home detention for her recent misdemeanor theft charge would keep her partying ways locked down - and would keep her alleged sticky fingers in check.

Lohan is accused of stealing a "one of a kind" diamond and gold necklace from a Venice, Calif. retailer valued at more than $2,500, reports CBS News. Lohan walked right out of the store with the necklace around her neck - without paying for it, authorities say.

With a trial date set to June 3rd, a source close to the actress has said that she plans on entering a "no contest" plea to the charges during this week's hearing.

Originally, the charges against Lohan were for felony theft and were being handled by the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. Lohan rejected the plea deal in March. LA Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner reduced the charges to a misdemeanor, and took the case out of the District Attorney's jurisdiction. The case was later reassigned to the LA City Attorney's Office, according to CNN. This paved the way for a new plea agreement.

Lohan has faced multiple legal battles in the past. She is already in hot water for violating her drunk driving probation, and has been sentenced to 120 days in jail. She would probably only serve a few weeks of this sentence in jail, reports CNN.

Alternatively, probation officials can also recommend to the judge that Lohan complete a home detention sentence in lieu of prison time. She would wear a home electronic monitoring bracelet and would likely serve 84 days at home, according to media reports.

Legally, a "no contest" plea is essentially the equivalent of a guilty plea. Plea bargains in criminal cases are a common occurrence, partially because of the idea of judicial economy. There are limited resources, limited judges, and limited attorneys available to both prosecute and defend cases. Without some method of expediting cases, costs would be extraordinary. Cases would also take a much longer time to work their way through the judicial system.

For Lindsay Lohan, home detention and a plea bargain will both end the case and free up her schedule to do what she's supposed to be famous for - acting.

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