The reason Lindsay Lohan appeared so confident while entering her not guilty plea yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court on felony theft charges is beginning to become more clear, as police reports from the incident have been released and show glaring inconsistencies in the jeweler's story regarding the alleged theft.
According to reports from RadarOnline and TMZ, the owner of Kamofie & Company, the jeweler Lohan allegedly stole a $2,500 necklace from, initially told police, "The surveillance video revealed that as Kaman [owner] was talking to Lindsay's male friend, Lohan reached up to her neck area with both hands, removed the store necklace and placed it inside her black Chanel bag."
The following day, however, the owner changed her story, telling police that Lohan had walked out of the store with the necklace around her neck. Other inconsistencies in the owner's story have also emerged, and legal experts are claiming that her credibility is crucial to the case, as Lohan is countering the charges by claiming she was loaned the necklace (as is fairly common in Hollywood) by the jeweler.
The jeweler is claiming the inconsistency is the result of viewing the security video on two different monitors, leading her to see the incident differently.
According to the report, the jeweler also told police the 'Mean Girls' star had been in the store three times before the alleged theft, and each time she looked at the necklace. But the following day, the jeweler's story changed, and she said Lohan had been eyeing a ring during the previous visits and never even looked at the necklace.
Radar reports that police did not take the security camera video when the crime was first reported, but once detectives were assigned to the case and returned to the store to collect evidence, including the tape, "the store owner changed her story."
With Lohan claiming she was granted permission to borrow the necklace and evidence suggesting that she walked out -- in full view of employees -- with the necklace around her neck and not in her bag, the discrepancy in the owner's story could bolster the actress's defense. "This is crucial," a source tells Radar. "Lindsay's lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley is confident that as she continues to obtain discovery on the case, it will only help her client."
Also working in Lohan's favor: Reports that she nearly walked out of the same jewelry store four days before the alleged necklace theft with one of the store's earrings in her ear. Rather than revealing a pattern of illegal behavior, as it would appear, the earring incident instead paints a picture of Lohan as absentminded. The earring she tried on at Kamofie & Company that day was an 18-karat white gold and diamond stud valued at far less than the earrings she entered the store wearing.
Lohan attempted to leave the store with a single earring in while her own more expensive earrings were left on the counter. "Ms. Lohan gathered her things and started to leave the jewelry store without making a purchase. Ms. Lohan's hair was flipped to one side covering the diamond earring," the police report reads. "[The clerk] stopped her and reminded Ms. Lohan she was still wearing the earring. Ms. Lohan laughed, admitted to her mistake and removed the earring from her ear and returned it to [the clerk]."
TMZ notes Lohan exhibited similar behavior when she left Kamofie & Company with the necklace.
The actress pleaded not guilty yesterday to felony theft charges. Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartrz revoked Lohan's probation, released her on $40,000 bail and gave a stern warning. "You are in a different situation now with a felony filed against you. If you violate the law, I will remand you and set no bail," he said. "You need to follow the law just like everyone else. You are no different than anyone else, so please don't push your luck. I'm telling you -- things will be different."
Lohan's next court appearance is set for Feb. 23, when her attorney will meet with prosecutors to "see if the case can be resolved successfully before the preliminary hearing."
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