Posted on 10/02/2007 12:08:28 PM PDT by CheyennePress
Britney Spears lost custody of her children because she failed to produce a California driver's license and allegedly missed a drug and alcohol test, her lawyer said in a published report.
"We weren't able to prove compliance with what the judge ordered," attorney Sorrell Trope told People magazine.
"Specifically," he said, "the judge ordered that by 10 a.m. (Monday) morning, both parties show valid California driving licenses. I've been unable to produce evidence of that."
Trope said another factor was a claim by ex-husband Kevin Federline's attorney that Spears had skipped a test. "There's no evidence that she actually failed," the lawyer said.
Trope did not immediately return a call from The Associated press seeking further comment.
On Monday, Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon ordered Spears to relinquish custody of her sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to Federline "until further order of the court."
The judge had previously ordered Spears to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week and meet weekly with a "parenting coach" who was to observe and report back to the court. Both Spears and Federline must complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class or receive private counseling, the court indicated.
The loss of her children was the latest problem to plague Spears, whose fortunes have taken a very public turn for the worse since splitting from Federline, 29, last year.
The two were married in October 2004. Spears filed for divorce last November and it became official in July.
Since becoming single, Spears has appeared increasingly erratic and out-of-control. First, she was photographed at various Hollywood hotspots partying hard with Paris Hilton, occasionally without panties. Then Spears shaved her head as paparazzi looked on, beat a car with an umbrella and ended up spending a month in rehab.
Spears was set to redeem herself and return to the pop throne with a much-hyped performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. But it was universally panned, with Spears appearing spaced-out, lethargic and relatively out of shape. The following week, her management firm dropped her and her divorce lawyer resigned.
Spears was then charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for allegedly crashing into a parked car in August.
The driving offenses likely compelled the judge to issue Monday's orders, said New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles said Spears applied for a California driver's license but did not complete the process.
"She was driving without a license with a child in the car," Felder said. "You can put aside the in and out of rehab, the shaving her head. But this? When a judge went out on a limb for her? There's no going back."
Though Spears must relinquish physical custody of the children until further ruling from the court, she and Federline still share legal custody.
Los Angeles divorce lawyer Connolly Oyler said he's surprised the children weren't taken from Spears sooner. Judges typically remove youngsters from households where parents are ordered to undergo drug testing, he said.
But, he added, all is not lost for Spears.
"If she picks a good counselor and gets a different set of friends, there's a good chance she can turn things around," he said, noting "she's only 25."
The couple is due back in court Oct. 3. Spears' new album is set to be released Nov. 13.
The answer is, naturally, of course not.
The way Hollywood seems to drag kids around like accessories or handbags is beyond reasonable, as well. I saw a woman holding her baby like a loaf of bread earlier today running around gabbing on her cellphone in her bug-eyed sunglasses and just rolled my eyes. *Get with it, people!*
Newsworthy? Eh, probably not. But I'm posting it, anyway. I've just been curious how far this woman can go without losing her kids. Apparently the line has been drawn.
Brit, babe, you can always be the cat’s mom!
The older I get, the more I believe conceiving and voting should both require intelligence testing.
Considering the parents, the state would be doing those kids a favor putting them in the foster of care of a crack addled person living in Section 8 Housing
We weren’t able to prove compliance with what the judge ordered..
LOL!! Lawyerspeak for I did not comply with the orders of the court.
The judge should just order the children dropped off at the train station. That plan would have a better chance for a happy ending.
I would not be surprised to learn that Britney is bipolar and a meth freak. Her behavior and decisions defy any rational explanation.
Hopefully those kids will never be left alone with that dingbat ever again. Unfortunately, the psychological damage done to them is going to take years of therapy to undo.
Now, if only a judge would get those kids away from Rosie O’Donnel so they can get therapy as well...
It is amazing to me that we have not woken up to news that one of these next generation starlets has been found dead. Overdose, car wreck, murdered, etc. It’s really frightening to see what childhood acting can do to a young talented person. Perhaps it’s the wealth at a young age.
I agree, but I also think it is parents prostituting their children. Some of these Hollywood parents are more concerned about what their child can do for them than what they need to do to take proper care of their child.
If I am not mistaken, you cannot have valid auto insurance in California without a valid license.
How can she have auto insurance if she has no license?
If she has another accident, no insurance company is going to cover her, IMO.
This brat is so out of control, it is amazing.
I don’t believe she will ever get custody of her kids again. I predict visits with the kids will also be supervised, and she will not be allowed to haul her kids all over to the dives she attends.
I am also not understanding why the Alcohol Beverage authorities don’t bust these “clubs” that these underage kids attend. There is plenty of publicity about them being underage and plenty drunk.
No, there is a rational explanation. All of her problems started after she was "mentored" and given career advice by Madonna during that Lesbo stage preformance of french kissing and petting. She spiraled downwards out of control ever since.
Maybe she caught an STD from Madonna which has gone untreated, spreading to her brain.
What? She was not able to produce a California driver's license yet she has a valid Louisiana driver's license. We all know how sacrosanct the "California driver's license" is. Just ask the 10 Million plus Illegal Aliens that are driving in California right now. What a joke. The California license is worth about just as much as the New York State license. Basically both licenses are worthless.
Having said that, I believe that Brittney brought all of this on herself. She has done everything wrong. She should have taken her kids and gotten far away from the terrible Hollywood influence when she had a chance.
In her present state,as she now seems free to go back to her party girl ways..Even among the Hollywood depraved...Who would want to be seen out with her? Who will want to be associated with her, and her fatal high speed auto wreck life?
LOL!
I knew that she looked familiar.
I’ve read that crack destroys a chemical reaction in the brain, that is a basic of maternal affection and bonding
with their babies/children.
It wouldn’t be a big surprise to me to find out that Meth did the same.
Lindsay Lohan wants to pal around with her (to look like the ‘good’ one).
bttt
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