Britney Spears Just Won't Go Away

[Blues Songstres]

Oh brother.

[Google]

 

[Nemeses]

Originally Posted by barefootdyke

hahaha, i was just watching "the soup" and they revealed that britney's buddy adnan has been on a 'test panel' for male enhancement drugs.

Ewww, ick alert!


(I love Joel McHale)

[Nemeses]

The latest on Brit...

Britney Spears Now Under 14-Day Hold
By Ken Lee
UpdatePosted Sunday February 03, 2008 12:40 PM EST

Britney Spears's hospitalization has been extended to an additional 14-day hold, a source exclusively confirms to PEOPLE.

Only her psychiatrist would've had the authority to request the involuntary stay. However, it's possible the singer could be out earlier if she legally demands to be released or her doctor deems her well enough for outpatient treatment.

What is life like for Spears at the Stewart & Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA? According to the patient's bill of rights at the hospital, she is allowed to wear her own clothes and keep her own personal possessions, including toiletries. She may also see visitors every day and make and receive phone calls – but not on her personal cell phone. There are pay phones on the floor.

There are two wings at the hospital, separated by a kitchen/dining room. Patients sometimes mix, especially for smoke breaks out on the deck, which is gated and surrounded by a metal fence.

The average patient sees his or her attending doctor every day. Since UCLA is a teaching hospital, the attending doctors are often accompanied by students. Staffers check on patients at least once an hour, even during the night.

And today in the courts...

In Court: Battle For Britney?
By Ken Lee
Originally posted Monday February 04, 2008 06:00 AM EST

As Britney Spears remains on a 14-day forced hospitalization, attorneys for the singer may object in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday to her father's control of her affairs.

Spears, 26, has had strained relations with her dad for years. "I am praying for my father. We never had a good relationship," Britney said in a statement last year regarding a feud.

"There could be a clash of wills over which side claims to have her best interests at heart," says L.A. probate attorney Allan Cutrow, who's not involved in the case.

Her father, Jamie – who visited Britney at the hospital on Sunday afternoon – and a lawyer named Andrew Wallet, were given widespread power over Spears's finances after a court named them co-conservators of her estate on Friday.

Courts grant this control when a person is incapable of handling their own affairs.

Jamie, alone, was also named temporary conservator of her person – in charge of her basic care and needs. He does not, however, have authority over her psychiatric treatment.

By now, a court-appointed attorney may have advised Spears of her right to protest her dad's control. If she does, the court may replace her father with someone who's deemed impartial.

It's also unclear whether Spears's custody lawyers, of the firm Trope and Trope, have the right to object.

"Depending on the powers the court granted the co-conservators, they may have the power to fire Trope and Trope at any time," Cutrow says.

Also Monday is a scheduled hearing in Spears's ongoing custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. She currently has no visitation rights of their sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1.

The former couple are not required to attend either hearing.

"This could only be the beginning of a long, protracted battle over her care, and control of her wealth," Cutrow adds.

[BoBoFan]

Attorneys Go to Court; No Changes in Britney Custody - Scandals & Feuds, Britney Spears : People.com

Attorneys Go to Court; No Changes in Britney Custody
By Ken Lee
Originally posted Monday February 04, 2008 01:05 PM EST

With Britney Spears hospitalized under a 14-day hold, attorneys arrived in court Monday for another custody hearing, but the session was postponed until later this month.

Lawyers for Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline were at the downtown courthouse with two new players: an attorney for Spears's father Jamie, who as temporary co-conservator has been granted widespread powers over her life, and the other co-conservator, lawyer Andrew Wallet.

Spears, 26, currently has no visitation rights of their sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, and has been fighting Federline, 29, in family court for more contact with the children.

The hearing had been scheduled to discuss the issue of Spears getting monitored visitation in a "therapeutic session." The hearing was reset for Feb. 19.

Another hearing was set for later Monday before a different judge over the question of control of Spears's affairs while she is treated at UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward in her second hospitalization this year.

[Amy Lee]

Well, i reckon this is what we were all hoping for on this thread, right? Is Adnan getting to see her?

[Nemeses]

I haven't heard anything new regarding Adnan, Amy Lee.

There's a live press conference going on as we speak outside the courthouse, where Allan (forgot his last name, the court representative) is answering some questions. The sound quality is really bad, with too much traffic noise making some questions and answers hard to understand. The only thing I've caught so far is that the restraining order was revised slightly, but he didn't give details on what the revisions were, or which restraining order was being revised (the ones against Britney or the one against Lufti). They did mention that they've not been able to serve Lufti with a copy of the original restraining order obtained last week because he refuses to open his door to the servers.

He also said that Adam Streisand, an attorney (and 2nd cousin to Barbara Streisand) who was in court today to try to be recognized as a personal attorney for Britney, asked the judge to recognize him as such, but the judge refused the request, so Streisand left after that.

[Nemeses]

Here's a better summation of today's court proceedings regarding Britney:

Britney Court Blow-By-Blow
Posted Feb 4th 2008 6:26PM by TMZ Staff

Here are the headlines from today's court hearing:

Jamie Spears is still the co-conservator of Britney's estate, as is Andrew Wallet.

The Commissioner did not give the conservators the power to fire Trope and Trope, Brit's divorce lawyers.

The Commissioner said, based on the restraining order, Sam Lutfi can have no contact whatsoever with Britney -- including e-mails, phone contact, etc.

The Commish extended the conservatorship to Valentine's Day.

The Commissioner said Adam Streisand had no legal basis for claiming he's Britney's new lawyer. There will be a hearing at some point to determine just how mentally competent Britney is.

[Broadway]

Here is more detail, Nem.

One enlightening thing in all of the articles this weekend is the fact that Sam's last name is Lutfi, not Lufti, as we have been calling him all along. Oops. Heh.

***************
A court commissioner on Monday extended the control of Britney Spears's father over the singer's affairs, including her $40 million fortune.

Jamie Spears will remain co-conservator of his daughter's estate until Feb. 14, the commissioner ruled, despite a lawyer's claims Britney had a "strong desire" against her father's temporary oversight.

The decision came in a hearing in which attorney Adam Streisand, who asserted he was hired by Britney Spears, argued that Jamie Spears's conservatorship "would only cause further distress, agitation and estrangement."

In addition, Streisand argued that co-temporary conservator Andrew Wallet "simply doesn't have the knowledge" to manage Spears's vast estate, he said in court. It was Streisand who valued the estate at $40 million.

Streisand, who's reportedly related to the singer of the same name, instead suggested that Northern Trust Bank be named as the temporary guardian of her wealth.

But the court ruled that Jamie Spears and Wallet would remain as co-conservators, a court spokesman said.

The lawyers for Jamie Spears began with an opening statement asserting that he has no interest in taking her wealth, but rather watching over it until his daughter recovers, with the eventual hope she's reunited with her children.

Wallet vehemently argued that the court be shown proof that Britney Spears was of sound mind to hire Streisand.


Spears 'Lacks Capacity' to Hire a Lawyer
A court-appointed lawyer for Britney Spears was also present, and testified that he met with the singer at the hospital Sunday for about 10 minutes.

He added that in his opinion, the pop star "does not understand the nature of these proceedings" or their impact on her future. He added, "I think she lacks capacity" to hire a private lawyer.

It was also revealed by Jamie Spears's attorneys that despite a restraining order issued Friday, the singer's pal Sam Lutfi had "spoken to Ms. Spears by telephone."

The father's lawyers expressed difficulty at subpoenaing Lutfi with the order, saying he would not answer the door when a person came to serve him recently.

The commissioner ordered Spears to have no contact, direct or indirect, by phone, email, text message or any other means with Lutfi, a court spokesman said.

[Krom]

One enlightening thing in all of the articles this weekend is the fact that Sam's last name is Lutfi, not Lufti, as we have been calling him all along. Oops. Heh.

Can we just call him "scum" instead?

[Nemeses]

Thanks, Broadway

Yeah, scum works too, Krom.

I think the most interesting part of the legal proceedings of the past few days in this mess is that we have an attorney who's aptly named for his profession.

Mr. Wallet... what a perfect name!
(no aspersion about his character specifically, as I don't know him, but a great name for an attorney in general )