Judge Yanks Britney's Visitation Rights
Oct 18, 4:12 PM (ET)
By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ
(AP) In a file photo Britney Spears arrives for the grand opening party of LAX nightclub at the Luxor...
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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Britney Spears can't even visit her children now. The troubled pop star may not see 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James - who are in the custody of Spears' ex-husband, Kevin Federline - until she complies with a court order, Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon ruled.
The order, dated Wednesday, does not spell out what directives Spears defied. A hearing in the matter was scheduled for Oct. 26.
A message left with Spears' attorney, Anne Kiley, was not immediately returned.
In the past, Gordon has reprimanded Spears for not complying with other court orders, repeatedly saying that she lost primary custody to Federline due to her own choices.
Among other things, Gordon has ordered her to undergo random weekly drug testing, citing evidence that Spears engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
She could not visit with her children without a parenting coach present. The coach participated in the emergency hearing Wednesday. Both parents were ordered to remain sober around their children.
Britney Spears Appears to Hit Paparazzo
Oct 19, 11:49 AM (ET)
(AP) In a file photo Britney Spears arrives for the grand opening party of LAX nightclub at the Luxor...
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - It might just be Britney Spears' latest hit.
Hours after losing child-visitation rights Thursday, the troubled pop star apparently ran over a photographer's foot with her car.
According to celebrity Web site Hollywood.TV, Spears was pulling out of a Beverly Hills medical building around 5 p.m. when the incident occurred.
Messages left late Thursday with Spears' attorney were not immediately returned. A police dispatcher in Beverly Hills said late Thursday no police report had been filed.
Video on the Web site is titled "The Unfortunate Foot Incident," but doesn't show the tire of Spears' car rolling over the cameraman's foot.
The video shows Spears beginning to pull out of a parking garage when her car is surrounded by more than a dozen photographers. The car comes to a stop.
Spears honks and the car lurches forward a few feet. Shouting is heard, and the camera jerks around as fellow photographers apparently help a man to his feet.
Spears drives off. Seconds later, the video shows what appears to be a tire mark on the unidentified paparazzo's sock. The man, wearing sandals with white socks, doesn't respond to questions from the cameraman and walks off without any apparent problems.
Earlier Thursday, Spears learned she was barred from visiting her young sons, who are in the custody of ex-husband Kevin Federline, until she complies with a court order, Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon ruled.
The order, dated Wednesday, does not spell out what directives Spears defied. A hearing in the matter was scheduled for Oct. 26.
Spears' apparent foot bender isn't the first time she's had trouble behind the wheel. She faces hit and run charges and driving without a valid license from an Aug. 6 wreck.
In that crash, paparazzi filmed Spears steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to turn into a spot in a Studio City parking lot. The video showed her walking away after assessing the damage to her own car.
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On the Net:
Spears Apparently Runs Over Man's Foot
Oct 20, 2:36 AM (ET)
(AP) This image provided by TMZ.com reportedly shows a vehicle driven by Britney Spears running over the...
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - It might just be Britney Spears' latest hit. Hours after losing visitation rights with her two young sons, the struggling pop star apparently ran over the foot of a photographer for celebrity Web site TMZ.com. Spears was driving away from a Beverly Hills medical building, her car surrounded by photographers, when the incident occurred about 5 p.m. Thursday.
Messages left with her attorney weren't immediately returned.
Video posted on the Hollywood.TV Web site shows elements of the incident but not the tire rolling over the cameraman's foot.
The video shows Spears beginning to pull out of the structure when her car is surrounded by more than a dozen photographers. The car comes to a stop.
Spears honks and the car lurches forward a few feet. Shouting is heard, and the camera jerks around as fellow photographers appear to help a man up.
Spears drives off and seconds later video shows what appears to be a tire mark on the photographer's sock. The man, wearing sandals with white socks, doesn't respond to questions from the others as he walks away, apparently unhurt.
TMZ supervising producer Gillian Sheldon confirmed Friday that the photographer was employed by the Web site. She said there were no plans to file a police report. In a statement released by TMZ, the photographer indicated he wasn't angry.
"Things happen at certain times and she was just a little impatient," said the man, whose name wasn't released. "She got a little impatient for whatever reason. I say let bygones be bygones."
On its Web site Friday, TMZ said it was putting the photographer's sock on e-Bay, and proceeds would go to the Children's Defense Fund in Spears' name.
Earlier Thursday, Spears, 25, learned she can no longer visit her two preschool-age sons, who are in the custody of ex-husband Kevin Federline, until she complies with an order from Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.
Gordon's ruling didn't spell out what directives Spears had defied, but a hearing was scheduled for Oct. 26.
Previously, though, Gordon has ordered Spears to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week and to meet weekly with a "parenting coach."
Spears faces charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license as the result of an Aug. 6 parking lot mishap.
In that incident, paparazzi photographed Spears steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to park in a space in a Studio City lot. The video showed her walking away after assessing the damage to her own car.
Britney Spears Avoids Hit-And-Run Trial
Oct 25, 3:04 PM (ET)
By LINDA DEUTSCH
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hit and run ... then pay as you go. Britney Spears is no longer facing hit-and-run charges since she paid off the other car's driver in the fender-bender, but she still has to deal with one count of driving without a license, a court commissioner ruled Thursday.
Spears was not required to attend the hearing on the misdemeanor charges stemming from an Aug. 6 parking lot mishap.
Superior Court Commission Susan Speer dismissed the hit-and-run charge after a lawyer for the pop star said his client had paid an undisclosed amount to a woman whose car was hit in a Studio City parking lot.
A charge of driving without a license was not dismissed and a pretrial hearing was scheduled for Nov. 26. The commissioner accepted a not guilty plea entered on Spears' behalf by lawyer Michael Flanagan to that charge.
Outside court, Flanagan said Assistant City Attorney Michael Amerian had offered Spears a plea deal involving the license charge that would have resulted in her being placed on probation for a year.
Flanagan said he believed a plea was unnecessary because Spears had rectified the situation by recently getting a California driver's license.
"She got a license, she has insurance, has always had insurance," he said. "The question is: Is probation really necessary?"
Flanagan said Spears previously had a license in Louisiana but did not have one in California because a camera was not available at the Department of Motor Vehicles when she went to apply for a license well before the accident.
Flanagan said he had not spoken to Spears in a few days.
He said the owner of the car that was hit was satisfied with the resolution and did not want to go forward with the hit-and-run charge.
Amerian also told the commissioner the owner of the other car was satisfied.
"I spoke with the victim," he said. "She indicated she had been fully compensated for her damages and is amenable to the civil compromise."
In the incident, paparazzi photographed Spears steering her car into another vehicle as she tried to park in a space in a lot. The video showed her walking away after assessing the damage to her own car.
On Friday, a hearing is set in Spears' custody fight with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two young sons.
Her attorney, Anne Kiley, said earlier this week that Spears had regained temporary visitation rights of her sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.
Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon had told Spears just days earlier that she could not visit the boys without a parenting coach present until she complies with a court order.
The mandate did not spell out what directives Spears failed to comply with.
Among other things, Gordon ordered her to undergo random weekly drug testing, citing evidence that Spears engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
Lawyer Says Spears' Custody Bid on Hold
Oct 27, 12:11 AM (ET)
By LINDA DEUTSCH
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Britney Spears arrived in court giggling on Friday but was later heard swearing during a break in a closed hearing that ended with no decision on her bid for shared custody of her two young sons with Kevin Federline. The court was expected to issue a written ruling by Tuesday after extensive testimony was presented on a number of issues, lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan said.
Spears did not comment after the hearing. Earlier, she uttered an epithet when a reporter asked how the proceedings were going.
Attorney Sorrell Trope, who represents Spears, said "something has changed, but I can't say what." He said Spears was pleased, but he declined further comment.
Each parent will have a day with the boys this weekend, Kaplan said during a short news conference.
The three-hour hearing was held before Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who previously said there was evidence that Spears is a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of drugs and alcohol.
He had withdrawn approval for her to even visit the children after finding she had failed to comply with some conditions for shared custody.
He later withdrew the ban and allowed her to visit Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1 - but only in the presence of a court-approved monitor.
Spears arrived at the courthouse eating cheese puffs in her white Mercedes-Benz convertible. She giggled when asked by reporters outside the courtroom if she was nervous.
She was escorted by sheriff's deputies and wore a black print dress and cowgirl boots. Her brown hair was lightly streaked with blonde highlights and she carried a large handbag.
Federline arrived a few minutes after Spears, wearing a gray pinstriped suit and an earring in his right ear.
Both were under court order to attend the proceedings.
They were asked to stand, raise their right hands and swear to tell the truth, which they did.
A few moments later, Gordon closed the hearing to the media at the request of Trope, who was expected to argue that Spears had complied with court orders and should regain the shared custody she lost earlier this month.
The previous court order by Gordon was tough and unambiguous. Spears was to undergo random drug and alcohol tests and meet weekly with a parenting coach who would report back to the court about her parenting skills.
Spears and Federline also were prohibited from making derogatory remarks about each other in their children's presence and from using "corporal punishment" to discipline them. Both parents also were ordered to complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.
As Spears attempted to regain custody of her children, her mother, Lynne Spears, announced plans to write a book about raising her family in the glare of the media spotlight.
"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is set for release May 11, which is Mother's Day, said Curt Harding, a spokesman for Thomas Nelson Inc., a Christian book publisher. He did not release further details.
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AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen contributed to this story.
Britney Spears arrives at court for a hearing to work out custody arrangements with her ex-husband Kevin Federline for their two young sons on Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Polk)
Spears Driving Video Could Be Subpoenaed
Nov 12, 8:00 PM (ET)
By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ
LOS ANGELES (AP) - There could be more trouble ahead for Britney Spears in her custody battle. Kevin Federline's lawyer says he may try to subpoena video footage that apparently shows the pop princess running a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection while driving with their two young sons in the back seat.
Attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan says he's weighing whether to seek a subpoena from the court Wednesday for the footage, which was posted on the celebrity news Web site TMZ.com. Separately, TMZ reported that it was contacted by Kaplan.
Kaplan declined further comment, but the footage could support his request to a Superior Court commissioner to stop Spears from driving when her sons are in her car.
Federline has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears has defied court orders.
A message left for an attorney for Spears, Anne Kiley, wasn't immediately returned Monday.
Spears' driving has been an ongoing problem for her.
In 2006, she was photographed driving with Sean Preston on her lap, and authorities visited her home to investigate.
Last month, she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid driver's license. A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge from an August parking lot crash was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were married in October 2004. The two have wrangled in court over custody issues since they split. Their divorce was final in July.
Spears Driving With Sons Video Submitted
Nov 16, 4:57 PM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A video believed to show Britney Spears running a red light was submitted to a Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, the latest piece of evidence entered in the child-custody battle between the pop star and ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, declined to comment after the closed-door hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon. Kaplan also said Gordon issued a sealed order that he could not discuss.
"I can't tell you what was discussed, I can't tell you what was in the papers, I can't even tell you what was in the order," Kaplan said.
The celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported the video showed the 25-year-old singer running a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection while driving with the couple's two young sons in the back seat of her car.
An unidentified witness who had been subpoenaed also appeared briefly at Friday's court hearing. His testimony was postponed.
The case is due back in court Nov. 26.
Last month, Gordon ruled that Spears could have sleepovers with her two boys if she has regular drug tests, childproofs her home and ensures the children are buckled into their car seats when she takes them on a drive.
He had previously suspended Spears' custody rights, ruling she engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
Britney 'Red Light' Video Into Evidence
Nov 16, 10:57 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The video of Britney Spears apparently running a red light with her children in the car was submitted into court Friday, a week after anyone with an Internet connection could judge it for themselves.
There was no word on the possible impact of the latest piece of evidence entered in the child-custody battle between the pop star and ex-husband Kevin Federline in a Los Angeles Superior Court.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, declined to comment after the closed-door hearing before court commissioner Scott Gordon. Kaplan also said Gordon issued a sealed order that he could not discuss.
"I can't tell you what was discussed, I can't tell you what was in the papers, I can't even tell you what was in the order," Kaplan said.
The paparazzi video, posted Nov. 9 on the celebrity Web site TMZ.com, shows the 25-year-old singer appearing to blow a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection, taking a left in front of stopped oncoming traffic while cameras flash and someone yells, "Red light, red light!"
An unidentified witness who had been subpoenaed also appeared briefly at Friday's court hearing. His testimony was postponed.
The case is due back in court Nov. 26.
Sorrell Trope, an attorney for Spears, did not immediately return a telephone message Friday.
Federline has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears has defied court orders. Last month, Gordon ruled that Spears could have sleepovers with her two boys if she has regular drug tests, childproofs her home and ensures the children are buckled into their car seats when she takes them on a drive.
He had previously suspended Spears' custody rights, ruling she engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
Driving has been an ongoing problem for Spears. In 2006, she was photographed driving with Sean Preston on her lap, and authorities visited her home to investigate.
Last month, she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license. A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge from an August parking lot crash was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were married in October 2004. The two have wrangled in court over custody issues since they split. Their divorce was final in July.
Spears' Side Wants to Keep Case Sealed
Nov 26, 8:55 PM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - An attorney for Britney Spears asked a court commissioner Monday to keep county authorities from reviewing court filings in the pop star's child custody dispute, saying it would be best for her two young sons.
The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services is a "large bureaucracy with thousands of employees" where the details of the case could easily leak out, argued Thomas Paine Dunlap, an attorney for Spears.
The department is investigating Spears' parenting skills. Ex-husband Kevin Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, argued that if the court turned files over it should identify and release only relevant issues.
After Dunlap and Kaplan spoke, an attorney for the department asked for the hearing to be closed, and Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon's decision was not disclosed.
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, have wrangled in court over custody issues since they split. Their divorce was final in July.
Among other issues addressed behind closed doors Monday was a new holiday visitation schedule for Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1. No details were released. The boys spent the night before Thanksgiving with their mother and Thanksgiving Day with their father.
