Dina Lohan – who gave photogs an enthusiastic thumbs up when asked if Lindsay will make it to court (Jackson Lee / Splash News)
Lindsay Lohan and her mom Dina caught a flight out of JFK to Los Angeles after reports surfaced that she had been shopping and smoking instead of recovering from an “upper respiratory infection.”
The actress’ lawyer Mark Heller allegedly submitted a note from a Park Avenue doctor so Lindsay could skip her pre-trial hearing in LA at 8:30 a.m. local time today about her alleged lying-to-cops case.
However, photos surfaced of Lindsay going on a shopping spree in SoHo, the same day she was allegedly examined by a doctor.
Lindsay and mother made a late night trip back to California, arriving at LAX around 12:30 a.m., TMZ reports.
According to the gossip site, Lindsay was in a “panic” and changed her mind about attending the pre-trial hearing after considering the consequences if she was absent. Had her excuse proved bogus, the judge could have issued a warrant for her arrest or a harsher verdict.
Lindsay is said to be ready to face Judge Stephanie Sautner, which is the first time the “Liz & Dick” star has been required to appear in court in nearly a year.
Prosecutors in Santa Monica, Calif., have charged Lohan with lying to police about driving a sports car that crashed into a dump truck in June, reckless driving and obstructing officers from performing their duties.
In March, Sautner released her from supervised probation but warned her to stop partying and grow up.
“You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work,” Sautner told Lohan at the time. The admonition came after the judge conducted several monthly updates with the actress and required her to perform morgue cleanup duty to complete her sentence in a 2007 drunken driving case.
Lohan has since filmed two movies but has repeatedly gotten into trouble, including a pair of arrests in New York that have not resulted in charges.
She was on probation for theft at the time of the wreck in California, and Sautner had warned the actress she could be sentenced to 245 days in jail if she didn’t behave. She has pleaded not guilty and a Feb. 27 trial date has been set.
The latest hearing may also resolve who will be Lohan’s lawyer for the criminal case. Her New York attorney (Heller) has petitioned to join the case, but his involvement must be approved by Sautner.
WITH AP