Lindsay Lohan Rejects Plea Deal, Faces Trial

By Ken Lee

03/23/2011 at 06:55 PM EDT

Lindsay Lohan is gambling that a jury will believe her side of the story: That she's no thief.

The actress has turned down a plea deal that included jail time and opted to move toward a trial in her felony grand theft case, Los Angeles prosecutors confirmed Wednesday.

"Ms. Lohan has maintained her innocence from the moment this case was filed and she has never wavered," her attorney Shawn Holley said in a statement. "Though many advised her to follow the safe route by taking 'the deal', the truth is, Ms. Lohan is innocent; she has a strong defense; and we are confident that a jury will listen to the evidence fairly and acquit her."

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Lohan, 24, is accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice, Calif., store. Sources close to Lohan contend she believed the necklace was loaned to her, a version of events refuted by the store's owners.

A preliminary hearing, in which testimony is heard and a judge decides if there's enough evidence for a trial, is set to begin on April 22.

If convicted, Lohan faces a maximum of three years in prison. She also faces the possibility of jail time if a judge decides she violated her probation in a DUI case.