Lindsay Lohan sentenced in theft case

Lindsay Lohan must report to jail by June 17 to begin serving a 120-day sentence for a necklace theft charge, a judge ordered Wednesday. Lindsay was sentenced for misdemeanor case involving a $2,500 necklace taken from an upscale shop in the Venice area of Los Angeles.

After her sentencing, the court released a probation report that said the actress "appears to be continuing to struggle with substance abuse issues."

Lohan was not at the hearing, but her lawyer entered a no contest plea -- equivalent to a guilty plea -- to the misdemeanor theft charge on her behalf Wednesday morning.

Early release formulas, required by a federal order to reduce jail overcrowding, will likely reduce the sentence to about 14 days in jail, Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said after the hearing.

"Because of budget constraints and because we're under a federal consent decree that requires us to curb our overcrowding situation, nonviolent offenders, lesser crimes, get 20% of their sentence," Whitmore said.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner said the discounts on the sentences "seems to be like shopping at Costco."

Lohan likely qualifies to serve her sentence in home confinement, instead of a jail cell, but the probation officials will decide that, Whitmore said.

A report prepared by Lohan's probation officer and released Wednesday said, "It would appear that the defendant's criminal conduct is increasing in seriousness and severity," yet it suggested she serve her sentence on probation and not in jail.

Despite several months in court-ordered drug rehab last year, Lohan "appears to be continuing to struggle with substance abuse issues."

She tested positive for alcohol use, a violation of probation rules, in February, the report said.

It also revealed that the drug test failure last August, which resulted in a jail sentence and court-ordered rehab, involved cocaine and amphetamines.

Sautner ordered that Lohan remain on supervised probation until she completes 480 hours of community service included in her punishment

But the judge rejected Deputy City Attorney Melanie Chavira's request for substance abuse counseling for Lohan. Sautner said drugs and alcohol are not the root of Lohan's legal troubles, but "she's got other problems for which she self-medicates."

Lohan's four years in and out of court -- and sometimes jail -- started with two drunken driving arrests in 2007. Since then, she's spent more than eight months in substance abuse rehab.