Lohan in a Beverly Hills court on Friday. (Reuters)

Beverly Hills, Oct. 22 (AP): Lindsay Lohan sidestepped another jail stint today when a California judge sent the troubled starlet back to rehab, telling her she was an addict and faced jail time if she relapsed again.

Los Angeles superior court judge Elden S. Fox ordered Lohan to remain at the Betty Ford Center until January 3 and report back to court in late February.

A prosecutor had urged a six-month jail sentence for the Mean Girls star, but Fox opted for rehab after reviewing filings by probation and rehab officials and a letter written by Lohan. The actress cried after hearing the sentence.

The judge acknowledged that Lohan, 24, has been in-and-out of court and rehab since a pair of high-profile arrests in 2007. He told the actress that he would not be manipulated by her, but was giving her a final chance to stay clean.

“You’re staying past the New Year’s — there’s a reason for that,” Fox said.

The judge’s sentence means Lohan will not be returning to a suburban Los Angeles women’s jail for a fourth time. Fox had threatened to send Lohan to jail for 30 days for each drug test she skipped or failed.