Judge tells Lindsay Lohan 'there's going to be jail time in this case'

A judge told actress Lindsay Lohan in court on Wednesday that "there's going to be jail time in this case" due to a probation violation and the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace, but that will be determined later.

new court date was set for March 10.

The 24-year-old actress was in court to face a charge of felony grand theft involving a necklace that a jewelry store had reported missing. Lohan pleaded not guilty earlier this month and had said on her Twitter page that she "would never steal."

"I don't want you to be a repeat offender in the system," the judge said. "I want you to get on with your life."

Lohan is on probation stemming from a 2007 drunk driving case. If convicted of her current felony charge, she could be sent to state prison for up to three years, which would mark her fourth stint behind bars.

Lohan has been forced to undergo random drug and alcohol testing for the past few months to ensure she has not violated her probation. Her attorney, Shawn Holley, has maintained the actress' test results have come back clean.

Lohan said on her Twitter page last week that she had not visited a Los Angeles night club, as suggested by online reports, adding: "I take my sobriety seriously. please dont believe this accusations. i know the rules and i wouldnt risk probation."

Lohan is accused of stealing the necklace from Kamofie and Co., a store located in the Venice area of Los Angeles on Jan. 22, three weeks after she was released from court-ordered rehab.

The Los Angeles Police Department issued a search warrant on Feb. 2 for Lohan's home to try to find the necklace, but it was returned to police before the warrant was served.

Lohan's lawyer has said the actress' case is "entirely defensible" but that they "will entertain a discussion concerning a plea if it means no jail so that she can move forward with her recovery and her career."

Lohan's three stints behind bars have each lasted 84 minutes, 14 days and 15 hours - the last of which occurred in September after she failed a drug test and wrote about it on her Twitter page.

The actress is also currently under investigation in Riverside County in an alleged battery case over a December altercation the actress had with a worker at the Betty Ford Center.