Ask the Answer B!tch

She's here to help

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Podcasts

How Expensive Is Game of Thrones?

And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!

Which New Fall TV Shows Will Be the Hugest?

And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!

Which Summer Movies Will Be the Biggest?

And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!

Which Dead Pop Stars Will Get Tupac Holograms Next?

And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!

Subscribe: iTunes

RSS

More Podcasts>>

Ask A Question

Got a query about how Hollywood works? Ask it!

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Lawyer Dumps Lindsay—Can It Help Her Avoid Jail?

Thu., Jul. 8, 2010 4:12 PM PDT by Leslie Gornstein

David McNew/Getty Images

Can Lindsay avoid jail now that she's been dumped by her lawyer?
—ElectricBlue, via the A.B. inbox

Whoa, there, Sparky, one breaking news disaster at a time. As of this minute, we know that attorney Shawn Chapman Holley has parted ways with LiLo. And the parting apparently wasn't LiLo's idea. And some brand-new attorney named Tiffany is now on the case. Oh, and—and this is so cute—LiLo still thinks she can appeal her sentence and avoid jail.

But can she, thanks to her lawyer snafu?

Nope. No question, just nope. No, no, no.

"The change should not affect her sentencing," says Ellyn Garofalo, partner at law firm Liner Grode and a veteran at this sort of thing. "No judge should look at it in a prejudicial manner."

As for an appeal, Garofalo tells me, "This is not an appealable issue."

Yes, Lohan's new lawyer could go before the judge and ask her to please, please change her mind, but that's not an appeal. Appeals involve new judges in higher positions. Given what we've already seen coming down from Judge Marsha Revel's bench?

Again: Yeah, no.

Now, let's dig a little deeper, because it's fun, and because we can.

What exactly may have happened that sent Holley running off like that? Well, sometimes the answers are obvious.

This likely wasn't a case of simple lack of payment, or a scheduling conflict, or anything so impersonal. No, this was likely very, very personal, attorneys tell me.

"It does happen all the time when a client is insubordinate or doesn't cooperate with defense council," says DWI specialty attorney Tom Anelli. And what kinds of insubordination are we talking about? How about everything?

"All kinds of stupid stuff in term of Lindsay's failure to comply with terms of probation," Anelli explains. "Not attending required alcohol education sessions, being out of town when she's not supposed to be, the nail polish markings, all in total disrespect of the court."