LOS ANGELES (CNN) — Lindsay Lohan’s alleged lie to a police officer investigating a car crash last June could send the actress back to jail next month.
But confusion surrounds the question of who will defend Lohan, 26, when she goes on trial February 27 after her longtime lawyer received a letter saying she was fired.
“Do you still represent Ms. Lohan?” Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Jane Godfrey asked attorney Shawn Holley in a hearing Tuesday.
“Yes, at this point, yes,” said Holley, who has guided Lohan through dozens of court appearances over the last several years.
“We’ve got to get the representation issue nailed down,” Godfrey said.
“The representation issue will be nailed down,” Holley affirmed.
Celebrity news website TMZ reported the letter to Holley came from an attorney in New York.
Lohan, who was not required to attend Tuesday’s arraignment, must be in court January 30 when the judge and lawyers prepare for next month’s trial.
She faces four misdemeanor charges relating to the traffic accident, but the most serious threat to Lohan’s freedom is the probation revocation that the arrest triggered. She could be sent to jail for up to 245 days for violating her probation for a shoplifting conviction.
Holley entered a “not guilty” plea on Lohan’s behalf.
The actress was put on probation after she was convicted in 2011 on charges related to the theft of a necklace.
But then last summer, she crashed her car in Santa Monica. Authorities said not only was she driving recklessly, she also gave false information to a police officer and then resisted a police officer.
The Santa Monica city attorney filed four misdemeanor charges against her, prompting a Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner to revoke Lohan’s probation last month.
The case is just one in a long list of legal trouble for the actress, whose struggle with drugs and alcohol has seen her bounce in and out of court 19 times and to five rehabilitation facilities since 2007.
In November, she was charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a woman at a Manhattan nightclub.
In the Santa Monica case, Lohan is accused of telling police her assistant was driving the Porsche, while witnesses told investigators they saw Lohan behind the wheel.
The crash took place while Lohan was on her way to the set for the filming of “Liz and Dick.”
Her performance in the made-for-TV movie about the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was universally panned. Critics called it a different kind of wreck.
