Lohan’s legal nightmare may end

Actress Lindsay Lohan starts in May on a made-for-TV movie in which she will portray big-screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.
Actress Lindsay Lohan starts in May on a made-for-TV movie in which she will portray big-screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.
  • Lohan appears in court Thursday for final probation update hearing
  • The judge is expected to lift formal probation for the actress
  • Lohan has two big acting jobs coming up
  • Her legal woes began with two drunk driving arrests in 2007

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lindsay Lohan's probation hearing Thursday could be the last time in court for the actress, ending nearly five years of legal troubles that began with a drunken driving arrest.

Lohan's probation officer sent another good progress report to the judge, confirming that the actress has completed the 480 hours of community service and the four-times-a-month psychological counseling sessions ordered, a source familiar with the case said.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner told Lohan in November that her formal probation would end March 29 if she met the probation requirements.

She would remain on informal probation for two more years on a misdemeanor shoplifting conviction, but her felony probation from two drunken driving convictions is set to end Thursday.

The strict rules of that probation tripped her up and led to four probation violations in the past two years, compounding and extended her troubles.

Instead of near-daily shifts working at the county morgue, weekly visits to her probation officer and monthly hearings, the actress can now focus on the career that ran off track after a May 2007 DUI arrest.

Lohan, 25, has spent 250 days in rehab, 35 days in home confinement, 67 days on community service, 19 days in court and made six trips to jail.

Lohan has been cast in an upcoming episode of FOX Television's "Glee" and filming starts in May on a made-for-TV movie in which she will portray big-screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.

Her recent hosting stint on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" was highly rated, and her nude photo spread in Playboy broke sales records for the magazine.

With the legal scrutiny easing, Lohan must still contend with being the constant focus of the paparazzi's cameras -- and some business security cameras -- which follow her day and night.

A recent incident in a Hollywood parking lot threatened trouble for Lohan. A man said he was injured by Lohan's Porsche, but her probation officer decided it was much ado about nothing, according to a source familiar with the case.

HLN's Selin Darkalstanian contributed to this report.

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