Lindsay Lohan’s last stint at Betty Ford Center was troubled

Lindsay Lohan is back at the Betty Ford Center to undergo her 90 days of court-mandated therapy as part of her sentence for reckless driving, ending 24 hours of speculation whether she would be arrested after walking out of an Orange County rehab center.

But the last time she was at Betty Ford in December 2010, it didn’t keep her out of trouble.

A technician accused the actress of battery at a Betty Ford Center housing complex in Palm Desert. Palm Desert police believed there was enough evidence to pursue a case but prosecutors declined to file charges in connection with the Dec. 12, 2010, disturbance.

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Lohan returned to the renowned treatment center after she left Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach Thursday. Prosecutors initially threatened to have her thrown in jail for violation of her probation.

Terry White, Santa Monica chief deputy city attorney, said he been contacted by Lohan’s attorney Shawn Holley and given tentative approval to the new rehab but planned to check it out more fully before giving final approval.

Back in 2010, Lohan checked into Betty Ford in September and was later ordered by a judge to remain there until Jan. 3, 2011, to undergo treatment for chemical dependency.

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At the time, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elden S. Fox rejected a prosecution request that Lohan serve six months in jail for failing drug tests while on probation for drunk driving.

But during her stay, police were called to the 74000 block of Daisy Lane at 1 a.m. for a disturbance at a housing complex. An employee told sheriff’s deputies that Lohan hurt her during an early morning confrontation as the technician tried to test the actress for alcohol.

Dawn Holland complained that the actress hurt her wrist.

The Rancho Mirage-based alcohol treatment center and drug rehabilitation clinic did not name the employee, but fired her after the entertainment website TMZ.com posted a video of Holland talking about the incident.

It was the first time the center had fired a worker for violating patient rights by talking with the media, its representatives said. Holland subsequently denied violating patient privacy and her attorney said she discussed only her police report.

In that report, Holland describes Lohan as becoming uncooperative about an alcohol test after consulting with her mother by phone, calling 911 and then allegedly tossing a phone at Holland. “I threw up my left hand to block it and then she grabbed my right hand and tried to snatch the phone that I had up to my ear, then called me [expletive],” Holland wrote in the report.

Holley said at the time that it was Lohan who felt the need to call 911 to alert authorities to the incident. A civil settlement was subsequently reached between Lohan and Holland.

The return to Ford comes after the “Mean Girls” star’s Porsche rear-ended a truck on Pacific Coast Highway on June 8, but she denied she was driving. She entered a no contest plea to reckless driving and lying to police and agreed to enter rehab, spend 18 months in psychotherapy and serve 30 days of community service.

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