Lindsay Lohan hopeful for acquittal

Lindsay Lohan's lawyer is confident she will be acquitted of felony grand theft.

The 'Mean Girls' actress - who is accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace from an upmarket Californian boutique - rejected a plea deal in the case yesterday (23.03.11) in exchange for a reduced sentence and now must face trial but her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley is sure her innocence will be proved.

She said: "Ms. Lohan has maintained her innocence from the moment this case was filed and she has never wavered. Though many advised her to follow the safe route by taking 'the deal', the truth is, Ms. Lohan is innocent; she has a strong defence; and we are confident that a jury will listen to the evidence fairly and acquit her."

Lindsay - who is currently on probation stemming from a 2007 driving under the influence (DUI) conviction - will next appear in court for a preliminary hearing on April 22, with Judge Stephanie Sautner, who is described as "tough but fair", presiding over proceedings.

Earlier this week, Lindsay's mother Dina Lohan said her daughter - who has always maintained she was loaned the necklace in exchange for publicity - was seriously considering pleading no-contest and accepting the deal as she wanted to "get it over with".

Explaining why the actress was considering pleading no-contest, Dina said: "Obviously she's not pleading guilty.

"My children don't steal things. But the system is so strange out in Los Angeles. We're considering a couple of options and just want to get this over with in the shortest amount of time."