As we reported on Monday, Lindsay Lohan's new attorney, Mark Heller, seems desperate to keep her from ending up behind bars. Not only did he try a "no Miranda defense" in a filing he made yesterday, he also sent a letter to the prosecutors along with the filing. The contents of the letter became known on Tuesday, and seem totally unprofessional.
At the very least, Shawn Holley, Lohan's former lawyer, who kept her out of jail -- for the most part -- during her time as LiLo's attorney, would never have pulled such a stunt.
Sources close to the prosecution said that the letter incensed the judge because he felt it was an attempt to improperly influence the court. In the letter, Heller writes to prosecutors Terry White and Spencer Hart. The letter, in PDF form, blamed at least part of Lohan's behavior on her dysfunctional family, and added that Lohan's negative public image has been brought about by:
... what happened in Lindsay's life that brought her to that place and, without considering the pain, torment and confusion which Lindsay has experienced and been afflicted with.
Heller then tries to enlist the aid of the court to come to a productive means of working with Lohan. He says:
I appeal to your good conscience to join me in not rubber stamping this case but rather to be patient and understanding and open to productive alternatives, as we, as a team, help "fix" Lindsay Lohan.
It's not hard to understand why the court would feel this was trying to influence it. After all, the remark about "rubber stamping" can be seen as Heller possibly attempting to steer the court away from jail time for his new client. He adds,
Lindsay will gladly be participating in intensive psychotherapy, submitting herself to regular screenings and contributing her time to the production of public service messages and periodic visits to schools, hospitals, and other venues where she may provide inspirational talks, encouraging children to pursue positive goals and avoid bad habits.
Some might use the time honored phrase that that it is getting rather "thick" in here. Heller also said that:
I am also exploring the establishment of a Lindsay Lohan Foundation that will provide a non-profit program to benefit young people.
It's unclear how that will be funded, but it is certainly not that case that Lohan has that type of disposable income lying around.
Finally, Heller said he hopes the "team" can:
... turn around this young lady's life in a positive way so she can be a good, productive contributor in her life, to her family, society, and her industry. Let our team be recognized as a sterling example of how wonderfully the prosecuting attorneys, the defense attorney and the judicial system can work together for the good of all.
It's unclear how the "team" will take this. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 1.
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