>> is set to face her most serious legal problem to date. los angeles prosecutors say she'll be charged with felony grand theft today for allegedly stealing a necklace. kristin welker is outside the courthouse with details. good morning.
>> reporter: good morning, meredith . lindsay lohan will appear for her arraignment this afternoon here at this l.a. county superior courthouse. the actress has been in trouble in the past, but this is the first time she will be charged with a felony. lindsay lohan getting pretty at a beverly hills hair salon on the eve of her latest court appearance. according to the l.a. county district attorney the starlet will be charged with grand theft today for allegedly stealing this $2500 necklace she was photographed wearing several weeks ago.
>> everyone around her is in crisis mode, including lindsay .
>> reporter: news cameras line the sidewalks outside the store where the theft allegedly occurred. one of her aids returned the necklace to police just as authorities were about to search lohan 's home. in a statement her attorney says, we deny these allegations.
>> lindsay said she was lent the jewelry, she didn'tle steal anything but the store says they have video and believe she did steal it.
>> reporter: veteran defense attorney mark garagos says two things will happen today. first, lohan will be charged with theft and asked to enter a plea.
>> i think you will probably see a not guilty plea .
>> reporter: then he says the judge will have to decide what to do about the fact that lohan is still on probation for a 2007 dui arrest.
>> some judge could say, okay, this is a felony. you're on probation. i'm going to revoke probation again.
>> reporter: if lohan 's probation is revoked she could wind up back in jail. garagos defended actress winona rider when she was convicted of shoplifting more than $5,000 worth of clothes in 2002 . surveillance video captured the crime. she got probation and community service . garagos says things could be different for lohan .
>> you have the same d.a., john lynch who supervised that case, potentially the same judge. you have two people who are both actresses. the difference is that winona had absolutely no record.
>> reporter: and lohan does. she's been in and out of jail and rehab for violating her probation. hollywood insiders say even fans are starting to lose faith.
>> a lot of people are wondering today, does this mean it's over for lindsay ? it's not. but it is definitely a pause button on her life and her career.
>> reporter: now legal analysts also say even if lohan is ordered tole jail today, she will likely post jail and they say a felony theft conviction carries a possible three-year prison sentence but say it is highly unlikely the actress would spend that much time behind bars. meredith ?
>> kristen, thank you so much.
>> good morning.
>> this charge of felony grand theft , how serious is it when it comes to lindsay lohan given the fact that she's on probation.
>> it is serious for two reasons. ub it's a felony and it has a three-year maximum. she's on record with a judge that's given her every break he could. there is a status on her probationary status and he's got to look at this carefully and think about whether or not at that time he wants to revoke it.
>> the fact that she's been charged or will be, not found guilty of it, is that enough for the judge to say that's a violation of probation -- the charge itself?
>> that's the question. yes, it is enough as a charge. but judge fox is a fair man with an excellent reputation. he may be the kind of judge who would say, okay, just the charge, you are presumed innocent. perhaps we continue probation until this is resolved. we know that lindsay 's lawyer has been firm. she's not fighting it in the press. she's going to fight it in court. perhaps the prudent thing to do is have lindsay post bail, go to the hearing on february 25 on a possible revocation and extend this probation. but, meredith , we all know the problem with lindsay and long probations. it gives her more time to get into trouble.
>> on the other hand, after she got out of rehab in january the judge said, if you mess up again, you're going to jail for six months.
>> he did. we have two things pending. we have the looming charge of a possible assault in riverside county for what happened at the betty ford clinic . that may go nowhere. now we have this. she may have a defense. she may be able to say, look, one of my handlers took it, a manager took it. i thought they wanted me to wear it. after all, people pay me to wear it. maybe it should be heard before it gets yanked.
>> thank you. it's 7:18. here's
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41494124/ns/today-entertainment/
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