After judge says Lindsay Lohan needs competent counsel, another attorney may join her defense
Lindsay Lohan.
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After a blistering hearing, in which a California judge reportedly said a New York lawyer is not competent to handle a local criminal case for actress Lindsay Lohan, she may be thinking about bringing in another attorney as co-counsel.
Partner Paul Wallin of Wallin & Klarich says Lohan’s lawyer, Mark Heller, has asked David Wohl, a well-known attorney at Wallin & Klarich, to take the lead in a Los Angeles Superior Court criminal case over lies the actress is accused of telling concerning a Pacific Coast Highway car crash last year, the Los Angeles Times’ L.A. Now blog reports.
“We are awaiting Ms. Lohan’s approval,” Wallin told the newspaper. “Mr. Heller made the request. The court and our firm want to ensure the integrity of this case.”
An earlier TMZ article described the hearing approximately two weeks ago at which Judge Jim Dabney told Heller, who apparently was admitted pro hac vice to represent Lohan, that he didn’t know what he was doing.
The judge said if Lohan didn’t get another lawyer to work with Heller, the actress would have to appear in court and waive her right to competent legal counsel, according to both TMZ and the LA Times.
A veteran defense lawyer, Dmitry Gorin, told the newspaper such a waiver would be virtually unprecedented.
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Handcuffed in A.M. re NYC Club Fight, Lindsay Lohan Is Charged in Calif. in P.M. re Accident Account”
ABAJournal.com: “Probation Is Revoked for Actress Lindsay Lohan After Accident and Nightclub Incident”
Huffington Post: “Lindsay Lohan Offered House Arrest Deal (REPORT)”
