Heather Locklear just pled no contest to 8 misdemeanors, including 6 involving battery on a police officer or EMT, and she's getting a sentence that will hopefully help her -- a sentence that does not involve jail.
The judge decided the appropriate sentence was 30 days in a residential mental health facility. The judge stayed a 120 jail sentence. Of course, that means Heather must complete the 30 days of treatment or else she could face the jail sentence.
Sources connected to Heather tell TMZ she wanted to take responsibility for what she did and wants to get help so she avoids such trouble in the future. She'll also be on 3 years of informal probation -- meaning unsupervised. Heather was also ordered not to possess weapons, non-prescribed medications or alcohol.
The judge said Heather must enroll in the treatment program by Sept. 6.
As we reported, Heather was arrested in February and again in June of last year. In the first incident, she was allegedly under the influence and attacked her boyfriend and a responding police officer. In the second incident, police responded to a disturbance call and allegedly a heavily intoxicated Locklear attacked a cop and an EMT.
Heather has been fighting substance abuse and coping with mental illness for years. She's been placed on an involuntarily psychiatric hold in the past and has gone to rehab a number of times.
We're told she's been getting professional help and the 30 days in a mental health facility will be the latest move to help her beat these demons.
Addiction and mental illness are unforgiving ... and the battle is a daily struggle.