Lindsay Lohan necklace charge reduced to misdemeanor
(CBS/AP) LOS ANGELES - A judge has reduced Lindsay Lohan's grand theft case to a misdemeanor after prosecutors laid out their case against the actress over a necklace reported stolen from a jewelry store.
The "Mean Girls" star was charged with felony grand theft after the jewelry store Kamofie Co. reported that she stole a "one of a kind" necklace worth a reported $2,500.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner refused to dismiss the case against Lohan, but said she often sees more serious cases that get reduced to misdemeanors.
In making her ruling, the judge said, "I'm going to give her an opportunity."
The misdemeanor has a potential penalty of a year in jail.
Lohan has pleaded not guilty and rejected a plea deal last month that reportedly would have entailed 60 to 90 days in jail.
The judge's decision came Friday after Deputy District Attorney Danette Meyers concluded her case at a theft hearing against Lohan after calling four witnesses, including two police officers who handled Lohan's case and store owner Sofia Kaman.
Kaman, the first witness to testify at the preliminary hearing, told the judge she waited to report the necklace missing because Lohan had told her she would return the next day to buy a ring.
Kaman also said she did not have any agreement with Lohan that allowed her to leave with the necklace.
A May 11 pretrial hearing has been set for the new misdemeanor case. Lohan entered a not guilty plea Friday afternoon. A trial has been tentatively set for June 3.