Lohan, 24, was released from jail late at night after posting $US75,000 bail pending an appeal of the four-month jail sentence imposed for violating her probation stemming from a previous drunk driving charge.
She was taken from the courtroom to Lynwood Women’s Facility — where she spent the next five hours — before being bailed out at 9:21pm local time.
Lohan was described as being “cooperative, cordial and optimistic” during her short stay by a jail captain, reported local news outlet KTLA.
Her day had begun with a court appearance — a preliminary hearing in a theft case in which it is alleged the Mean Girls star walked out of a jewellery boutique in January without paying for a $US2500 gold necklace.
Judge Stephanie Sautner reduced the felony theft charge to a misdemeanour and set a pre-trial hearing for May 11.
But the judge also said she felt the evidence indicated Lohan intended to steal the jewellery, and she ruled the actress had violated her 2007 drunk driving probation — sentencing her to 120 days in jail, plus 480 hours of community service, for the violation.
The community service is to be served at a women’s centre and the city morgue, TMZ reported.
Judge Sautner said she chose those particular locations so that Lohan could see “how truly needy women and women who have fallen on real hard times have to live”, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Prosecutor Danette Meyers said she would appeal the decision to downgrade the theft matter to a misdemeanour.
“The judge abused her discretion in this case,” Ms Meyers said.
“It was a felony filing because the defendant was on probation… She has violated on numerous occasions… the evidence was incredibly strong.”
Modestly dressed in a black long-sleeve T-shirt and navy high-waisted pants, with her blond hair swept into a loose updo and a white scarf around her neck, Lohan was greeted by the usual throng of paparazzi outside the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse when she arrived for the hearing.
The jewellery store owner that accused Lohan of stealing the necklace testified during the proceedings, saying the actress came into her boutique in Venice, California three times in one week before walking off with the pricey piece.
Sofia Kaman said Lohan spent about 45 minutes in the store on January 22 with her friend Patrick, who also accompanied the starlet on a January 15 visit to Kamofie & Company.
While Patrick was chatting with Ms Kaman, Lohan slipped out of the store wearing a gold necklace.
Ms Kaman said she realised the necklace was gone 10 minutes after the pair left.
However the store owner waited until the next evening to report the piece stolen because Lohan allegedly said she would be back the next day to purchase a ring. The actress, however, failed to show up on January 23.
Today’s events were just the latest in a series of legal issues that have plagued the once in-demand actress.
She has been in and out of jail, rehab and courtrooms multiple times since 2007.
Lohan was sentenced in July last year to serve 90 days in jail and another 90 days in rehab for violating her probation in the drunk driving case.
However due to jail overcrowding, she served just 13 days before being released to a detox facility.
In 2007, she spent just 84 minutes in jail after police arrested her twice for cocaine possession while driving — in one instance crashing her Mercedes-Benz into a tree.
She completed a court-ordered spell in rehab for drug addiction in January.
