Lohan reaches deal on alcohol, drug charges

Actress Lindsay Lohan reached a deal with prosecutors Thursday, agreeing to serve a one-day jail sentence after pleading no contest to drunk driving charges while admitting to using cocaine in two separate incidents.

The plea deal came the same day that prosecutors charged Lohan with seven misdemeanor counts, stemming from two cases, of using cocaine and driving under the influence.

Lohan, 21, who starred in “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday,” will be placed on probation for three years and serve 10 days of community service. She also must spend at least 30 days in a drug rehabilitation program and complete an 18-month alcohol education program.

Appearing in the Beverly Hills courtroom of Judge H. Chester Horn, Lohan’s attorney, Blair Berk, agreed that her client would plead guilty to two counts of being under the influence of cocaine, no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0.08% and one count of reckless driving. Lohan was not required to appear in court for the misdemeanor charges.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office agreed to drop two counts of driving under the influence.

Prosecutors decided not to charge Lohan with felony drug charges because the amount of narcotics involved was less than the standard 0.5 grams. They said Lohan did not receive special treatment.

“She’s getting what everyone else would get,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers said.

Lohan, who is in a Utah rehabilitation facility and must report to jail by Jan. 8, issued her most contrite statement yet.

“It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs,” Lohan said. “Recently, I relapsed and did things for which I am ashamed. I broke the law, and today I took responsibility by pleading guilty to the charges in my case.”

Lohan, who initially denied that she had cocaine in her pocket after her July arrest, said she was determined to turn her life around.

“I am not blaming anyone else for my conduct other than myself,” she said. “I thank God I did not injure others. I easily could have. I very much want to be healthy and gain control of my life and career and have asked for medical help in doing so.”

Lohan was first arrested by Beverly Hills police over the Memorial Day weekend after she lost control of her Mercedes SL65 on Sunset Boulevard, jumped the curb and crashed into some shrubs. The actress left the scene and was taken to Century City Doctors Hospital, where she was eventually tracked down by police and arrested.

Someone also drove her heavily damaged car from the scene of the crash, and police later located it at a nearby condominium complex. A small amount of cocaine was found inside.

Lohan was booked on suspicion of possessing a “usable amount” of cocaine and leaving the scene of an accident, a charge that prosecutors chose not to pursue because the actress sought medical help. A few days after the incident, Lohan checked into a Malibu drug-rehabilitation center.

On July 24, Lohan was arrested by Santa Monica police after the mother of one of her assistants reported that she was being chased by the actress in her SUV. Cocaine was found in Lohan’s pocket when she was booked into jail.

She was later released on $25,000 bail and promptly checked into a rehab center.

In both instances, the amount of cocaine recovered could not be linked to her or was insufficient to justify criminal charges, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley.

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andrew.blankstein@latimes .com

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richard.winton@latimes.com