Lindsay Lohan arrives at Los Angeles court for hearing in misdemeanour reckless driving case

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Lindsay Lohan arrived in court Wednesday for a hearing involving misdemeanour charges of lying to authorities and reckless driving in a crash last summer along Pacific Coast Highway.

The appearance marked the first time in nearly a year that she has been required to be in court.

Lohan was on probation for theft at the time of the wreck.

A judge previously warned her that she could be sentenced to 245 days in jail if she didn't behave.

The hearing on Wednesday is intended to address any issues in advance of a trial scheduled for Feb. 27 on the three misdemeanour counts stemming from the crash.

Lohan has pleaded not guilty to lying to police, reckless driving and obstructing officers from performing their duties.

Prosecutors in Santa Monica charged her after her sports car crashed into a dump truck in June. Authorities suspect she was lying when she said she wasn't behind the wheel.

The hearing is being held in the courtroom of Judge Stephanie Sautner, who previously sentenced Lohan to jail, house arrest and morgue cleanup detail.

In March, Sautner released Lohan from supervised probation but warned her to stop partying and grow up.

"You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work," Sautner told Lohan at the time.

The admonition came after the judge conducted several monthly updates with the actress and required her to perform morgue cleanup duty to complete her sentence in a 2007 drunken driving case.

In recent months, Lohan has filmed two movies and repeatedly gotten into trouble, including a pair of arrests in New York that have not resulted in charges.

The latest hearing may also resolve who will be Lohan's lawyer for the criminal case. New York attorney Mark Heller has petitioned to join the case, but his involvement must be approved by Sautner.

Heller did not return a phone message.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP