Judge: Neighbor's NY noise suit against Madonna OK (AP)

NEW YORK – Madonna has lost a bid to get rid of a neighbor's lawsuit claiming the superstar made a racket by using her New York City apartment as a rehearsal studio.

A judge turned down Madonna's request to dismiss the suit. Her publicist and lawyer didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday, after the Aug. 24 decision was reported in the New York Law Journal.

Karen George says Madonna's dance and exercise routines subjected neighbors to "blaring music, stomping and shaking walls" for up to three hours a day. Madonna took steps to dampen the sound in 2009, but George says they didn't work.

She sued Madonna and the building's co-op board. They say the noise never topped legal levels.

The judge says the dispute warrants a trial.

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Judge: Jackson trial 'on course' despite appeal (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A judge says the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death is "on course" despite an appeal filed last week by the physician's attorneys.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor says jury selection in the case will begin as planned on Thursday unless the appeals court issues a stay in the case.

Attorneys for Dr. Conrad Murray on Friday appealed a ruling by Pastor that jurors in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial will not be sequestered.

Pastor says he's confident justices on the 2nd District Court of Appeal will provide some guidance soon.

Murray pleaded not guilty and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Authorities say he gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in June 2009.

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Judge: Prince should pay $4M in NY perfume lawsuit (AP)

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Judge bars testimony from longtime Jackson doctor (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Michael Jackson's dermatologist will not testify in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, a judge ruled on Monday, in a blow to defense plans to portray the singer as a drug addict who may have given himself the substance that caused his death.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor also barred witnesses in the case from testifying about Jackson's 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial is slated to begin next month over the "Thriller" singer's June 25, 2009, death from what authorities said was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other drugs.

Murray has admitted giving Jackson, 50, propofol as a sleep aid, even though it is normally used in a hospital setting. Murray's lawyers have suggested the pop star could have given himself a further dose when his physician was out of the room.

In court papers, Murray's attorneys said they wanted to call Jackson's longtime dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, to the witness stand.

The papers said Klein gave frequent injections of the painkiller Demerol to Jackson for "no valid medical purpose" and that "Jackson became physiologically and psychologically dependent on Demerol."

"I do not think it is relevant," Pastor ruled on Monday. Pastor also barred the testimony of five other doctors, but said he would allow defense attorneys to call two other physicians -- Allen Metzger and David Adams.

Murray was hired as the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts which had been scheduled to begin in London in July 2009.

The defense contends that Adams told police Jackson was so familiar with propofol that he called it "milk."

Metzger had treated Jackson for two decades, and as recently as two months before the singer's death, Jackson had asked Metzger for intravenous sleep medicine, the court papers from defense attorneys said.

Prosecutors told the judge on Monday that Metzger had turned down Jackson's request.

Pastor on Monday also refused a request by the defense to bring up a 2003 raid of the singer's Neverland Ranch in California, in which defense attorneys said propofol and Demerol were found.

Murray's team had said in court papers that they did not plan to refer to the child molestation charges on which Jackson was later acquitted.

Pastor said testimony about the Neverland raid would be "irrelevant" and that it "proves absolutely nothing" involving Jackson's 2009 death.

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Jury selection in the case is due to begin on September 8 and opening arguments are set for September 27.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Judge blocks effort to get Spears' med records (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A judge won't give a company suing Britney Spears access to her medical information.

The pop star is still under court-ordered conservatorship after a bout of erratic behavior in 2008. Her father and attorneys control her personal and financial affairs.

Because of the conservatorship, she will not be required to give a deposition in the lawsuit from the company Brand Sense, which claims it helped negotiate a perfume deal for Spears but was cut out of the profits.

Brand Sense wanted to see medical records proving Spears couldn't testify. But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Reva Goetz ruled Tuesday that Brand Sense Partners has no standing to see medical records.

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Israeli "idol" judge indicted in strongarm case (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (Reuters Life!) – Israel's "A Star is Born" TV singing competition has a new reality spinoff -- a criminal case against one of its judges, accused of using strongarm tactics to ensure she got a cut of a former contestant's earnings.

The judge, Margalit Tsanani, a popular singer in her own right, was indicted on Monday along with her alleged enforcer on extortion charges which both have denied.

The case has made front-page news in Israel, where the show, loosely formatted along the lines of the unaffiliated American Idol franchise, has been a ratings winner.

According to the charge sheet, Tsanani, popularly known as "Margol," co-managed along with a musical agent the lucrative career of one of the competition's former contestants.

But the agent withheld Tsanani's cut and she went to legal arbitration, which she won. The agent still refused to pay and Tsanani turned to an enforcer -- nicknamed "Tooth Puller" -- to collect, the indictment said.

Tsanani's arrest two weeks ago stunned the Israeli entertainment world, but parts of the indictment dealing directly with the singing competition could prove even more disturbing to fans.

Prosecutors alleged the judge awarded points to one contestant -- who did not win -- in accordance with a text message she received from tne enforcer during a live broadcast of the show.

And, the indictment said, Tsanani also did her enforcer a favor by making a friendly reference, during the show, to a convict watching the program in prison.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller, editing by Tim Pearce)

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Judge rules Jackson trial jury will not be sequestered (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The jury in the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor will not be sequestered, despite a request by defense lawyers who expect the case to be "the most publicized in history."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled against removing the jurors from their homes during the four- to six-week trial starting in September, citing the estimated $500,000 cost and saying he had "tremendous faith" in the jury system.

"I do not find sequestration to be the answer in this case," Pastor said at a hearing on Thursday. "I expect that the jurors will follow the high road."

Jury selection is due to start on September 8 for the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, with opening statements expected on September 27.

Murray, who was at Jackson's side when he died in Los Angeles on June 25, 2009, is accused of delivering a fatal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol to the pop star as a sleep aid, and then failing to monitor him properly.

Murray could face up to four years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defense team has suggested that Jackson, 50, could have given himself a larger dose of the drug while the doctor was out of the singer's bedroom. They have argued that massive expected media coverage of the trial could jeopardize the doctor's right to fair trial.

"There is reasonable expectation that Dr. Murray's trial will be the most publicized in history," Murray's lawyers wrote in their request for jury sequestration.

Pastor said he would give strict instructions to the jury to avoid reading or watching media reports of the trial, and said they would be eating their meals in the jury room during the court day to restrict their exposure to the public.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Judge wants more info on Chris Brown neighbor spat (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Thu Aug 25, 7:03 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – A judge wants to know whether Chris Brown is being a good neighbor.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg ordered prosecutors Thursday to get more details about neighborhood complaints about the R&B singer before his next Oct. 12 court hearing. Brown is on probation for a 2009 attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna.

The judge said she had received several calls from Brown's neighbors, but said she had not spoken directly to the people. She did not seem overly concerned about the complaints, but wanted more information about them and where Brown would complete his community service.

The singer had served 581 hours of community service in Virginia as of January, but needs to complete six months' worth of community labor to complete the terms of his probation. He recently moved to West Hollywood, Calif., and his attorney Mark Geragos said Brown may ask to complete his service in California.

Geragos downplayed the neighbor dispute, saying Brown was not at fault for some of the complaints. Geragos said West Hollywood city officials have dismissed more than $15,000 in parking citations Brown racked up for parking in a handicapped space at his condominium complex because those were the spaces assigned to him.

Brown has received mostly glowing probation reports since he was sentenced for the Rihanna attack two years ago. A probation report filed Thursday noted that media reports have focused on outbursts by Brown, but states that none of the conduct has been reported to probation officials.

A source told The Associated Press in March that Brown destroyed a dressing room and broke a window with a chair after an appearance on "Good Morning America," in which co-host Robin Roberts asked the singer about the attack on Rihanna. He was never charged, and the probation report did not specifically cite the incident.

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Judge: No sequestering Jackson manslaughter jury (AP)

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Thu Aug 25, 3:33 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – A judge, declaring his faith in the honesty of jurors, refused Thursday to order sequestration for those who will serve in the high profile involuntary manslaughter trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death.

"Jurors want to do the right thing," Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor told lawyers. He said those who serve in the case of Dr. Conrad Murray will be making tremendous sacrifices and locking them up would be cruel.

He said studies have shown that sequestered jurors often describe themselves as feeling like inmates.

"Jurors have lives," Pastor said. "We remove them from their lives in these horrific economic times."

Pastor said he was confident that jurors would follow his instructions to avoid exposure to publicity, but he rebuffed a defense argument that he rescind a decision to televise the trial. Defense attorney Ed Chernoff said the television coverage would feed an army of commentators who would supply their own interpretation of what went on in court.

Chernoff, referring to widespread media coverage of the Casey Anthony trial, called the commentary "a problem."

"Is the problem you're referring to the exercise of the First Amendment?" asked the judge. He added, "I decline, at this point, to amend my ruling. The First Amendment is one of our most cherished principles and the right to comment is part of that."

"I have more faith and respect for jurors than others do," Pastor said.

Pastor, who had said earlier that the county could not afford to sequester jurors, said the money was not the deciding factor.

"The issue of cost is not the overriding consideration," he said. "Justice trumps everything."

If sequestration was warranted, he said, he would have ordered it even though the cost would exceed half-a-million dollars.

"If this was a close call, I would order sequestration regardless of cost," he said. "It is not a close call."

Murray's attorneys had argued that sequestration was the only way to ensure a fair trial.

If the case involving the death of the King of Pop didn't justify sequestration then there likely isn't another case in which it's warranted, said Chernoff.

Defense motions specifically cited TV personality Nancy Grace, who they said used her TV show to campaign for conviction of Casey Anthony, the Florida mother who had been charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter and was acquitted by a sequestered jury.

Pastor cited a number of studies he had researched on sequestration and said sequestered jurors have reported being so frustrated that the isolation "interfered with their fair assessment of the evidence and the law."

Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the Jackson case on Sept. 8, with opening statements slated for Sept. 27.

Murray could face four years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Authorities have accused him of administering a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives in the bedroom of Jackson's rented mansion on June 25, 2009.

Pastor has noted that a jury hasn't been sequestered in Los Angeles since the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

In another development, prosecutors filed a motion seeking to exclude or limit the testimony of 26 witnesses including Jackson's many health care providers and a police detective who participated in Jackson's 2003 child molestation investigation in Santa Maria. Jackson was acquitted in a high profile 2005 trial and prosecutors said in their motion that such testimony "is irrelevant and highly inflammatory."

"The current case should focus on the events surrounding the medical care provided to Michael Jackson by Conrad Murray," said the motion. "The case should not be allowed to deteriorate into an unfair, unwarranted and irrelevant attack on the deceased victim."

They asked the court to bar any reference to the molestation case.

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Judge extends order against Halle Berry intruder (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge on Monday ordered an alleged stalker who was arrested outside Halle Berry's home to stay at least 100 yards away from the Oscar-winning actress and her daughter for the next three years.

Richard Franco, 27, was arrested last month outside the actress' Hollywood Hills' home after he climbed over a security gate.

On July 12, Berry was granted a temporary restraining order against Franco, and the new order issued by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson extends the original order to August 1, 2014,

Neither Berry or Franco were present during Monday's hearing but in a sworn declaration Berry outlined how Franco had entered her yard on several occasions, and one of which, Franco tried following the actress into her kitchen.

Last month Franco was charged with a criminal count of stalking and one count of first-degree burglary related to his alleged break-in of a guest house on the actress' property.

Berry, 44, became the only black actress to win the Oscar for best actress in 2001 for her role in the movie "Monster's Ball".

(Reporting by R.T. Watson; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Judge extends order against Halle Berry intruder (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge on Monday ordered an alleged stalker who was arrested outside Halle Berry's home to stay at least 100 yards away from the Oscar-winning actress and her daughter for the next three years.

Richard Franco, 27, was arrested last month outside the actress' Hollywood Hills' home after he climbed over a security gate.

On July 12, Berry was granted a temporary restraining order against Franco, and the new order issued by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson extends the original order to August 1, 2014,

Neither Berry or Franco were present during Monday's hearing but in a sworn declaration Berry outlined how Franco had entered her yard on several occasions, and one of which, Franco tried following the actress into her kitchen.

Last month Franco was charged with a criminal count of stalking and one count of first-degree burglary related to his alleged break-in of a guest house on the actress' property.

Berry, 44, became the only black actress to win the Oscar for best actress in 2001 for her role in the movie "Monster's Ball".

(Reporting by R.T. Watson; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Judge backs Lopez over home video row with ex (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A US appeal court sided with superstar Jennifer Lopez in a privacy dispute with her ex-husband over the use of the former couple's home videos.

The singer and actress, who annnounced last week that she was splitting from actor husband Marc Anthony, is seeking $10 million from her ex, Ojani Noa, and writer Ed Meyer.

Lopez says the video footage, which is not of a sexual nature, contains private information about her and her relationship with Noa, whom she married in 1997 but divorced 11 months later.

The 42-year-old, who originally sued Noa and Meyer in November 2009, alleges that the pair plan to make a movie she says is to be called "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The J. Lo and Ojani Noa Story."

Noa and Meyer deny they are planning a tell-all movie and say it would not have the title stated in the lawsuit.

On Friday, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, reversing a lower court's ruling, said Lopez can force Noa and Meyer to resolve the case by arbitration.

The lawsuit was the second Lopez filed against Noa after their divorce: in 2007 she won $545,000 and legal costs for breach of contract over a planned ghostwritten tell-all book.

The book, which was blocked from being published, reportedly recounted how Lopez had had multiple affairs, including with her current husband Marc Anthony whom she is now leaving after seven years of marriage.

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US judge presses Lindsay Lohan over counseling (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A US judge ordered troubled US actress Lindsay Lohan Thursday to sign up for psychological counseling, a key condition of her receiving probation for an alleged jewelry theft.

At an updated hearing on Lohan, who was banned last month from holding parties while in home detention, Los Angeles Superior Court judge Stephanie Sautner said she had three weeks to enroll for one-on-one counseling.

"Trust me, she will be held to that (enrollment) deadline," Sautner said. "I will not take into consideration, 'Sorry, I was on the set of the John Gotti movie.' This will be completed on time," she said.

The 25-year-old was sentenced to 35 days of home detention in May, as part of a plea bargain over the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry shop near her home in Venice Beach.

On June 23 she was brought back to court after reportedly testing positive for alcohol, and banned from partying -- specifically by having no more than one friend to visit at a time -- while she completed her home detention.

On Thursday the judge said Lohan had so far completed 33 hours of the 480 hours of community service she was sentenced to, and attended a counseling course for shoplifters, but had not enrolled yet for psychological counseling.

Her lawyer Shawn Holley said the actress was making efforts to complete the psychological counseling, but could not attend group sessions because of the risk of someone trying to profit from information gleaned.

Lohan had been enrolled in one-on-one counseling sessions at UCLA, but had to end that program due to "financial issues" apparently involving her insurance coverage, the attorney said.

She added that Lohan would complete the counseling requirement.

It is the latest in a long list of legal tangles for Lohan -- once the promising child star of hit Disney movies "The Parent Trap" and "Freaky Friday" -- who has a reputation for hard partying.

In July last year Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail and another 90 days in rehab for violating her probation in a drunk driving case, but served just 13 days due to prison overcrowding.

She was jailed again in September, but was granted bail after only 15 hours behind bars and subsequently checked into rehab for drug addiction, a course she completed in January.

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Judge: Lohan needs to speed up community service (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – 1 hr 34 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – A judge warned Lindsay Lohan Thursday that she must spend more time doing community service and enroll in psychological counseling or risk running into problems with her probation.

In a separate development, Lohan was sued for assault and battery in Riverside County by a former worker at the Betty Ford Center who had a dispute with the actress in December.

In Los Angeles, Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner reminded the actress during a status hearing in her criminal cases that she had to complete 480 hours of community service by next April, and that she would not grant any extensions, even if Lohan is working on a film.

"She's not going to get five minutes more than one year" to complete the service at a shelter for women and the county morgue, Sautner said.

The judge opened the hearing by telling Lohan that probation officials had submitted a report stating she had violated the terms of her release.

"Don't look shocked Ms. Lohan because it isn't true," Sautner said, explaining the probation officer was relying on incorrect information.

The judge did chide the actress for not providing officials with a phone number where she could be reached for monitoring.

It was Lohan's first appearance in court since completing 35 days of house arrest. Her attorney, Shawn Holley, noted the actress was prohibited from doing community service during that time.

Lohan, 25, has completed one of four anti-shoplifting classes. Sautner said she must complete the rest before returning to court on Oct. 19.

Holley said her client is having trouble enrolling in court-ordered psychological counseling. Sautner agreed that the actress should not have to enroll in group treatment, but said Lohan must find someone to counsel her within three weeks.

Lohan cannot afford to pay a psychiatrist who was previously treating her but would find a new program shortly, Holley said.

The actress remains on probation for a 2007 drunken driving case and a misdemeanor grand theft case in which she pleaded no contest in May to taking a $2,500 necklace without permission.

In the newly filed lawsuit, court records show Dawn Holland, who is now using her maiden name Bradley, sued Lohan claiming assault and battery. A full copy of the suit was not immediately available.

Bradley's attorney, Owen McIntosh, said his client requires surgery on her wrist for an injury sustained in the incident.

"This is a very real injury," he told The Associated Press.

Steve Honig, a spokesman for Lohan, declined comment on the case.

Police did not charge Lohan in the incident, and Bradley was fired from Betty Ford Center for discussing it on camera with celebrity website TMZ.

Bradley had been attempting to administer a breathalyzer test on the actress, who had missed curfew and was with two other girls who admitted drinking that night, according to a probation report.

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

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NY judge dismisses charges against Foxy Brown (AP)

NEW YORK – A judge on Tuesday dropped charges that rapper Foxy Brown violated a court order by mooning her neighbor after the woman told prosecutors she would not testify at the trial.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Isdith said he had tried to meet with the neighbor, Irene Raymond, in the weeks before the trial and didn't get anywhere. When he finally got in touch with her, she said she didn't want to pursue the case, he said.

"While the district attorney's office has no doubt the defendant committed this crime, we have no other choice but to dismiss this case," Isdith said.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, pleaded not guilty to criminal contempt and her trial was slated to begin Tuesday, following a dressing-down at her last court hearing by State Supreme Court Justice John Walsh when she appeared hours late.

The 31-year-old hip hop star was punctual this time, wearing a short silver silk dress and towering spike heels, and smiled and hugged he attorneys as the courtroom erupted when Walsh dismissed the case.

"I was falsely arrested twice, slandered and defamed," she said outside court, as she gave a thumbs-up and smiled for cameras. She described Raymond as jealous, and someone with a "borderline obsession," "someone who wants to be you or have your life ... that I worked really hard for," she said.

The Brooklyn-based rapper was a teenager when she broke onto the rap scene as a protege of Jay-Z, but her career has foundered in recent years.

Prosecutors said Brown violated the order in July 2010 by screaming at Raymond before bending over, baring her buttocks and showing her underwear while shouting an obscenity.

Had the case gone to trial, her attorney Salvatore Strazzullo said her defense would have been not only did she not moon Raymond, but she wasn't even wearing underwear at the time, so the neighbor was not telling the truth.

Brown was issued the order of protection after pleading guilty in 2008 to menacing Raymond with her cellphone. The two had been in a fight over Brown blasting her car stereo outside their Brooklyn building in the leafy Prospect Heights neighborhood. The restraining order is in effect until 2013, her attorney said.

Strazzullo said they would be filing a civil suit in Brooklyn alleging malicious prosecution.

Brown became one of rap's more popular stars in the 1990s, but in recent years she has stayed in the headlines mainly for her legal problems and hot temper. She also has said she suffered from hearing problems.

Her debut CD, "Ill Na Na," was released in 1996. She released her platinum-selling sophomore album, "Chyna Doll," in 1999. Her third album, "Broken Silence," — released in 2001 — reached gold status.

She rapped in the hip-hop group The Firm, which also featured Nas.

Brown said outside court that she's headed directly to the recording studio now that she's free of the case, and said she's not planning to return to criminal court any time soon.

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Judge sides with Costner in sculpture dispute (AP)

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A judge has ruled in favor of Kevin Costner in a dispute between the Hollywood actor and an artist he commissioned to create a bronze sculpture for a resort in South Dakota's Black Hills.

The dispute centered around whether there was agreement between Costner and artist Peggy Detmers on the site where the artwork now sits. The Rapid City Journal reports that Judge Randall Macy ruled there was.

Under terms of the contract, if the two hadn't agreed on a site, Costner was to sell the sculpture and split the proceeds. Costner said there was agreement; Detmers said she had little say on the site. The resort has not materialized after 20 years.

Costner's attorney says the actor is "well satisfied." Detmers declined immediate comment.

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Judge orders Sheen wages docked for child support (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A judge has ordered Charlie Sheen's former bosses to garnish $55,000 a month for child support from any payments they make to the former "Two and a Half Men" star.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg on Friday approved a request by Brooke Mueller Sheen to garnish any payments Warner Bros. Television makes to her ex-husband.

The former couple was divorced on May 2, about two months after Warner Bros' fired Sheen from "Men." The actor and the studio have been fighting over payments ever since.

The hefty monthly payments are intended to support the Sheens' twin sons and were part of a divorce settlement they reached earlier this year.

The actor's spokesman Larry Solters declined to comment. Brooke Sheen's attorney did not immediately return a phone message.

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Judge orders Sheen wages docked for child support (AP)

LOS ANGELES – A judge has ordered Charlie Sheen's former bosses to garnish $55,000 a month for child support from any payments they make to the former "Two and a Half Men" star.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hank Goldberg on Friday approved a request by Brooke Mueller Sheen to garnish any payments Warner Bros. Television makes to her ex-husband.

The former couple was divorced on May 2, about two months after Warner Bros' fired Sheen from "Men." The actor and the studio have been fighting over payments ever since.

The hefty monthly payments are intended to support the Sheens' twin sons and were part of a divorce settlement they reached earlier this year.

The actor's spokesman Larry Solters declined to comment. Brooke Sheen's attorney did not immediately return a phone message.

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Judge tells Lohan: No more parties at house (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Thu Jun 23, 8:27 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The house party is over for Lindsay Lohan, at least while she's on house arrest.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner chided Lohan on Thursday for having rooftop parties at her home while serving house arrest on a probation violation but said the actress hadn't violated any other rules.

"If you are guilty of some violation of your probation, I don't see it," Sautner said. "What you are guilty of is extremely poor judgment."

Lohan tearfully hugged her attorney, Shawn Holley, after the hearing.

Earlier, the actress told Sautner she wanted to put her court troubles behind her.

"Do you want to get on with your life, tell me," Sautner asked.

"Yes, I do," Lohan replied. It was the only time she spoke during the hearing.

The judge said Lohan didn't violate her probation by testing positive for alcohol during a recent test. The testing requirement, imposed by another judge, ended in February.

Holley said after the hearing that Lohan, 24, had undergone more scrutiny than any other defendant and has been abiding by the terms of her sentence.

"She has done nothing wrong," Holley said, noting that alcohol is not illegal.

Some of the parties at Lohan's home in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles were photographed by paparazzi.

"Don't give people a reason to hate you," Sautner told her. "Don't do stupid things that fly in the face of the court's order."

Sautner said Lohan can only have one friend over at her house at a time but can host family and business associates.

Sautner ordered Lohan to appear in court on July 21, but said she wouldn't incur any additional penalties if she abided by the terms of her probation.

Sautner is the fifth judge to handle Lohan's case since she was arrested twice in 2007. In April, Lohan was found in violation of her probation for taking a necklace without permission.

Lohan is nearing the end of what is expected to be a 35-day term on house arrest on a four-month jail sentence. Sautner made clear she didn't approve of the house arrest or Lohan's early release, but noted it was out of her control.

All of Lohan's jail stints have been shortened due to jail overcrowding.

Her house arrest has been far from uneventful — authorities went to the actress' home four days after she began her sentence on May 26 because her ankle monitor reported being out of range.

The battery in Lohan's ankle monitor was going bad, authorities determined, but also noted in a probation report that she had hosted friends the night before and one of them had spilled a drink on some of the equipment.

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

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Judge tells Lohan: No more parties at house (AP)

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer Anthony Mccartney, Ap Entertainment Writer – Thu Jun 23, 8:27 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – The house party is over for Lindsay Lohan, at least while she's on house arrest.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner chided Lohan on Thursday for having rooftop parties at her home while serving house arrest on a probation violation but said the actress hadn't violated any other rules.

"If you are guilty of some violation of your probation, I don't see it," Sautner said. "What you are guilty of is extremely poor judgment."

Lohan tearfully hugged her attorney, Shawn Holley, after the hearing.

Earlier, the actress told Sautner she wanted to put her court troubles behind her.

"Do you want to get on with your life, tell me," Sautner asked.

"Yes, I do," Lohan replied. It was the only time she spoke during the hearing.

The judge said Lohan didn't violate her probation by testing positive for alcohol during a recent test. The testing requirement, imposed by another judge, ended in February.

Holley said after the hearing that Lohan, 24, had undergone more scrutiny than any other defendant and has been abiding by the terms of her sentence.

"She has done nothing wrong," Holley said, noting that alcohol is not illegal.

Some of the parties at Lohan's home in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles were photographed by paparazzi.

"Don't give people a reason to hate you," Sautner told her. "Don't do stupid things that fly in the face of the court's order."

Sautner said Lohan can only have one friend over at her house at a time but can host family and business associates.

Sautner ordered Lohan to appear in court on July 21, but said she wouldn't incur any additional penalties if she abided by the terms of her probation.

Sautner is the fifth judge to handle Lohan's case since she was arrested twice in 2007. In April, Lohan was found in violation of her probation for taking a necklace without permission.

Lohan is nearing the end of what is expected to be a 35-day term on house arrest on a four-month jail sentence. Sautner made clear she didn't approve of the house arrest or Lohan's early release, but noted it was out of her control.

All of Lohan's jail stints have been shortened due to jail overcrowding.

Her house arrest has been far from uneventful — authorities went to the actress' home four days after she began her sentence on May 26 because her ankle monitor reported being out of range.

The battery in Lohan's ankle monitor was going bad, authorities determined, but also noted in a probation report that she had hosted friends the night before and one of them had spilled a drink on some of the equipment.

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

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