What is Lindsay Lohan thinking? Rolling the dice, she rejected a lenient plea deal in Necklacegate, the latest albatross hanging around the troubled starlet's neck. Hoping to establish her innocence at trial, Lindsay risks being sentenced up to three years in state prison if convicted of felony grand theft. Even if Lohan is vindicated and avoids the clink, she could still face jail time for violating her probation. In an attempt to satisfy her selfish pride, Lindsay Lohan has made a dangerous strategic move.
The fallen actress' decision to try her luck in court is also driven by her addiction to the spotlight. Lacking any substantive acting roles, she likely believes any media attention will keep her somewhat relevant. Innocent or guilty, no jury decision will change the negative perception of Lindsay Lohan in Hollywood. A tabloid frenzied trial is only going to add more salt to an already festering wound.
Only Lohan can reinvent her damaged image by reforming her untamed behavior and blasé attitude toward the law. Instead of actively seeking the camera's glare, Lindsay needs to lay low, end her pattern of finger pointing and take a long, hard look in the mirror. Hopefully then she will be enlightened as to what is causing her litany of legal problems. And only then will she stop wasting the public's resources on her courthouse vanity productions.
With a preliminary hearing scheduled for later this month, a judge will determine if there is sufficient evidence to finally bring this ludicrous necklace case to trial. While Lohan has every right to defend herself, she will be walking a fine tightrope before any jury. Whether she had a motive or intent to steal will be the prosecution's burden to prove. Although the jewelry store's surveillance tapes offer conflicting interpretations of what transpired, Lindsay's troubled history with the law and extensive personal problems could damage the credibility of her defense.
In 2008, Lohan was sued for allegedly stealing a fur coat at a nightclub. In 2009, she was questioned but not considered a suspect in the disappearance of $400,000 worth of jewels from a photo shoot. In 2010, she was reportedly named a suspect in the alleged theft of a $35,000 Rolex. In addition to these accusations, Lohan has been to jail three times in the past three years for DUI, drug possession and probation violations. As a repeat offender, could it all be the result of bad luck or really just the acts of a bad girl? Like the current necklace dispute, none of these previous incidents, according to Lindsay and her camp, were ever her fault. There was always someone else to blame.
True to form, Lohan and her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley emphatically deny that she stole a thing from Kamofie & Company. Despite a lack of documentation to support their claim, they argue that the jewelry store loaned Lindsay the necklace and her people simply forgot to return it. Kamofie then exploited the high-profile snafu for press and profit, turning Lindsay into the victim once again. This defense is classic Lohan. Just another cry me a river excuse that shouldn't surprise anyone.
Lest we forget, Lindsay didn't hit a Betty Ford Center employee while in rehab, the employee instigated the altercation. Lindsay doesn't fall down outside of bars because she is intoxicated, it's because the paparazzi stalk her. Lindsay had no idea she was moving into the condo right next door to Samantha Ronson, it was a complete coincidence. Lindsay doesn't get fired from film and television projects, she quits by her own choice. Lindsay didn't lose her passport in Cannes, someone stole it. Her pathology of denial is disturbing and humorous all at once. Pigs will fly before Lindsay Lohan genuinely utters the words, "I was wrong."
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, though. Lindsay's fame-hungry parents taught her well. Playing the blame game is par for the course with the Lohans. With a megaphone, Dina blames the media, greedy opportunists and ex-husband Michael for all of Lindsay's problems. Michael then fires back, blaming self-interested enablers and Dina for Lindsay's woes. He even blames his ex-girlfriend Kate Major, who recently accused him of domestic abuse, of actually physically abusing him. Such chutzpah. Are these people for real?
Beyond the entertainment industry and the press, everyday taxpaying citizens are fed up with Lindsay Lohan flipping the bird at authority and getting away with it on their dime. Lohan is widely viewed as a spoiled brat who unapologetically mocks the law, fails to take responsibility for her actions and continuously walks away with just a slap on the wrist. All of this only to end up sauntering back to court on new charges, turning what should be a perp walk into her catwalk. The justice system is debased into reality TV fodder with each stiletto step that Lindsay Lohan takes before a judge. It is sad and incredulous how often this cycle has repeated itself for a once promising and talented young woman.
Unfortunately, what Lindsay Lohan still fails to recognize is that she is her own worst enemy. The legal conundrum that has become her life snowballed because she thumbs her nose at society's rules time and time again. Lohan acts as if the laws that apply to you and me don't apply equally to her. Her hubris is stunning. Oscar-winning actresses are not above the law. Why does this tabloid tart think she is any different?
Ignoring the errors of her ways, Lindsay Lohan continues to gallivant across New York's nightlife scene as if it would stop without her. Her shallow strategy of making appearances at every trendy Manhattan club, restaurant and film premiere is an ironic attempt at sobriety and self-redemption. Whatever happened to feigning contrition with a couple of days of community service and a few quiet nights at home? Apparently, that tact was lost on Lohan.
Ultimately, this entire mess boils down to Lindsay Lohan's poor judgment. No matter how many breaks she gets, Lohan continues to embrace the patterns of behavior, people and environments that always land her back in the hot seat. Wherever Lindsay goes, drama follows. It is only a matter of time before she is in trouble again. The too cool for school image that Lohan is attempting to portray may open doors with the fast crowd. However, it will not win the hearts and minds of a jury, the people that she so desperately needs on her side.