Monday, March 18, 2013

Lindsay Lohan late for reckless driving trial in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Troubled star Lindsay Lohan arrived late for Monday's start of her trial on charges of reckless driving and lying to police over a June car crash, after she flew to Los Angeles from New York overnight.

Lohan, wearing a white and pink pants suit, turned up in court more than 45 minutes late after a morning dash from Los Angeles International Airport to the courthouse following a private jet flight from New York.

A bystander threw glitter at her as she walked into court through a phalanx of photographers and camera crews.

Lohan, 26, has pleaded not guilty to reckless driving, obstructing police, and lying to police when she said she was not behind the wheel when her Porsche sports car smashed into a truck on June 8, 2012, in Santa Monica, California.

The actress, who is still on probation for a 2011 conviction for stealing a necklace, faces the prospect of being sent to jail if she is convicted on the latest charges, or if she is deemed to have violated the terms of her probation.

The three misdemeanor charges each carry potential jail terms ranging from three months to a year. But even if Lohan is not convicted, the judge has the power to sentence her to jail for more than 200 days if he determines the actress violated her probation in the 2011 jewelry case.

Monday's trial went ahead after the failure of weeks of behind the scenes negotiations over a possible plea bargain for the 'Mean Girls' actress, who has been to jail for brief periods and entered rehabilitation for drinking and drug problems multiple times since 2007.

Lohan's new attorney, Mark Heller, told reporters earlier this month that Lohan had started a new round of psychotherapy and wanted to give inspirational speeches to school kids in a bid to turn her life around.

However, it's not clear if either of those projects have gotten underway. Lohan has spent much of the three months since being charged over the Santa Monica car crash in New York, where she has been photographed at nightclubs, concerts, and fashion and charity events.

Lohan's once promising Hollywood career has been seriously damaged by her numerous legal troubles. A comeback performance as late screen legend Elizabeth Taylor in the TV movie 'Liz & Dick' in November was largely panned by critics.

(Reporting By Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Eric Beech)

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