LiLo to plead no contest in necklace grift, but will skip court

Long-troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan is expected to plead no contest this week in her jewelry-theft case, though she’ll skip a paparazzi-baiting appearance at the Los Angeles courtroom this time, according to a report.

Lohan, 24, faces a misdemeanor grand theft charge for allegedly lifting a $2,500 necklace from a California jewelry store last January. Her attorney, Shawn Holley, will enter the plea without the "Mean Girls" star present, because authorities asked her to stay away to avoid costly extra security, TMZ said.

Lohan already was slapped with 120 days of jail time because her arrest in the case violated her 2007 DUI-bust probation. But because the case is nonviolent, it's likely she'd get to serve the sentence at home while wearing an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

A source told Radar Online that the case's prosecutor is fine with house arrest so long as authorities clear it.

"If the sheriff’s department determines that Lohan can serve her time at home with an ankle monitor, the office won’t oppose it," the source said.

It's unclear whether the judge will tack on more time to Lohan's sentence. She’s also been ordered to serve 480 hours of community service.

Lohan was charged with stealing the one-of-a-kind necklace from Kamofie & Co. in Venice, Calf. Lohan has said the store allowed her to borrow the piece and that an assistant was simply late in returning it.

Lohan's attorney and publicist didn't return calls for comment.