LOS ANGELES – A judge on Thursday gave Lindsay Lohan two weeks to consider an undisclosed deal to end a felony grand theft case before an upcoming hearing that could send the starlet to jail for the fourth time.
Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz told the "Mean Girls" star that he had told her attorney and a prosecutor how he would likely sentence her if she agreed to plead guilty or no contest in the case, but said he would keep the terms confidential.
The theft case is now bound for an April 22 preliminary hearing before another judge who will decide if there is enough evidence for Lohan to stand trial or to be sent to jail for violating probation in another case.
If Lohan appeared again in his court, Schwartz said, he would know she was accepting his offer.
During a hearing Thursday before Schwartz, the actress signaled a desire to fight the charge involving a $2,500 necklace by rejecting a prosecutor's plea deal that included a guaranteed jail sentence.
Schwartz previously said he would sentence Lohan to jail if she pleaded guilty but did not make a similar threat on Thursday.
Lohan, wearing a shiny brownish-gray dress, spoke only once during the hearing, telling Schwartz she understood the schedule for the hearings.
She has pleaded not guilty to stealing the necklace from Kamofie & Co., a jewelry store near Lohan's home in the beach community of Venice.
Lohan's return to court came days after surveillance footage was aired of her trying on necklaces at the shop, which reported the necklace stolen on Jan. 22.
The necklace was eventually given by a Lohan associate to police who had already obtained a search warrant for the Venice home of the actress.
"Entertainment Tonight" aired the footage, which showed Lohan texting, pacing and talking to a store clerk for nearly 45 minutes.
The actress wore the necklace for roughly 25 minutes, according to the show, and it was around her neck when the clerk escorted Lohan out, smiled and held a door open.
The footage was obtained by a commercial images division of The Associated Press and licensed exclusively to "Entertainment Tonight."
A once-promising star of Disney films such as "Freaky Friday" and "Herbie Fully Loaded," Lohan's career has been stalled since she was arrested twice in 2007 and later charged with drunken driving and drug possession.
In the past 10 months, Lohan has been jailed twice and sent to rehab twice for probation violations.
A judge ordered her to undergo three months of treatment at the Betty Ford Center, and it was within three weeks of her release that she was accused of stealing the necklace.
Prosecutors in Riverside County are considering charging Lohan for an altercation with a rehab worker in December.
If convicted of grand theft, Lohan could be sentenced to up to three years in state prison. It's the first time she has been charged with a felony.
Also see: Lindsay Lohan Photos
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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