LA city prosecutors take over Lohan case

LOS ANGELES, May 4 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office says the Los Angeles city attorney's office is now handling Lindsay Lohan's theft case.

Lohan, 24, whose acting and singing career has been upstaged by the turmoil in her personal life that started in 2007 with two DUI cases followed by trips to rehab, is awaiting trial on a shoplifting charge. She is accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace from a boutique.

Lohan, who gained child stardom with movies such as "The Parent Trap," "Mean Girls" and "Freaky Friday," has already been sentenced to 120 days in jail for violating her probation for a driving under the influence conviction. Her lawyer is appealing the jail sentence.

County prosecutors told the Los Angeles Times the case was transferred after a judge reduced the theft charge from a felony to a misdemeanor last month.

"The jurisdictional issue was thoroughly researched by the district attorney's appellate division. Because the charge was reduced by the court to a misdemeanor, the district attorney no longer has jurisdiction to prosecute the case and therefore, we will give the case to the Los Angeles city attorney's office," Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said in a statement issued to the Times.

Lohan is due back in court May 11.