Britney Spears denied access to sons in latest court hearing

Britney Spears failed to regain visiting rights to her two young sons after a chaotic Los Angeles custody hearing last night.
The singer missed the morning session of yesterday’s hearing arriving in the afternoon, only to leave before entering the building. Reports suggest the singer refused to enter the court room after becoming intimidated by the paparazzi.
"Move back. I'm scared. Stop it. Stop it. I want to get back in the car. Just stop it. Let me get in the car, please," Spears is reported to have told photographers before driving away in a 4 x 4 vehicle.While neither Spears, 26, nor her former husband Kevin Federline, 29, were required to be in court for the hearing, the singer’s presence was considered key to her chances of regaining access to her children. Federline, sporting a new Mohawk hair style, was in court.
Spears had all access to her sons suspended after she refused to hand Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, over to Federline following a visit on January 3.
Police were called after the singer locked herself in a room with one of the boys. After a four-hour stand-off, she was strapped to a stretcher and taken to hospital by ambulance.
Behind closed doors, Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon yesterday heard a full day of testimony concerning the incident.
Allan Parachini, a spokesman for the court, said two Los Angeles police officers, Paula Strong, the court-appointed monitor who was present for the visit at Spears' home, and Lisa Hacker, a parenting coach who has been working with Spears and Federline testified. Lonnie Jones, Federline’s bodyguard who had been sent to collect the children on January 3 also gave evidence.
After ruling that the children should remain in the custody of Federline, the court commissioner set another hearing for February 19.
Outside court, Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's lawyer, said: "The word victory is not something Mr Federline or his counsel would ascribe to this. There is no joy. This is a grave situation for all."
Mr Kaplan said that Federline thought the ruling was correct, but added: "His goal, his hope for the future is at some point he will be able to parent the children with the participation of their mother."
Spears has also missed previous court hearings, including a court-ordered deposition on December 12 when she called in sick. She then arrived nearly two hours late to a lawyer's office on its rescheduled date, January 3.
The child star turned chart-topping singer has made headlines for her increasingly erratic behaviour since her marriage to Federline ended in late 2006. Last year, she shaved her head, attacked a car with an umbrella and used a designer dresses to clean up vomit while on a magazine photoshoot.
Her music career has survived the turmoil. Her latest album, Blackout, has won critical acclaim and new track, Piece of Me, is at number 17 on the UK singles chart.

Spears must go to court for custody of kids

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet)-- U.S. pop singer Britney Spears would have to appear in court in person on Monday if she wants to restore the right to see her children, media reported.
"I don't know if she will be there," Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan was quoted as saying.
If she comes to court, she "will have the opportunity to persuade the court that she can have some visitation under monitored conditions," said Kaplan, adding that it will be "the most significant hearing in the case so far."
Police were preparing for possible media frenzy in the downtown civic center if Spears appears. They issued warnings on Sunday that vehicle and pedestrian violations would lead to summons.
On Jan. 3, Spears refused to return the boys to her ex-husband Kevin Federline at her home. Later there was a standoff, and Spears was sent to hospital in an ambulance.
On Jan. 4, her former husband Federline was awarded sole legal and physical custody of their two boys and Spears' visitation rights were suspended.

Spears Due in Court for Major Hearing

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears' effort to regain visitation rights with her two small children is back on the court docket for what an attorney described Sunday as "the most significant hearing in the case so far."
Police and emergency medical technicians who were summoned to her home Jan. 3 in a standoff involving her refusal to return the boys to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, will testify Monday, probably behind closed doors, his lawyer said.
"I don't know if she will be there," Mark Vincent Kaplan told The Associated Press, but he suggested she would have to appear in person if she wants to press her request to see her children. "You can't phone this one in."
If Spears comes to court, Kaplan said she would be expected to testify. "She will have the opportunity to persuade the court that she can have some visitation under monitored conditions," he said.
Phone and e-mail messages requesting comment from Spears' attorneys Sunday afternoon were not immediately returned.
Kaplan said he knew it was only a temporary measure when he obtained emergency court orders two weeks ago granting sole physical and legal custody to Federline.
"These are very, very draconian orders," Kaplan said. "Because of that the court wanted to have a hearing to give her and her attorneys the opportunity to refute some of the declarations."
"No judge likes making orders terminating a person's involvement with their kids," Kaplan said.
Meanwhile, police were preparing for a media frenzy in the downtown civic center if Spears appears, issuing warnings Sunday that vehicle and pedestrian violations would lead to citations.
Kaplan said that if Spears comes to court, he would like to cross-examine her on the events of Jan. 3.
Police were called by a court appointed monitor when Spears refused to hand over Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, to Federline's security guard and locked herself in a room with one of the boys.
Spears was taken to a hospital in an ambulance chased by photographers and was placed on an involuntary hold on grounds she was a danger to herself or others. Spears left Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a day and half later.
The day after the incident, Kaplan presented papers to Commissioner Scott Gordon who awarded sole legal and physical custody of the boys to Federline and suspended Spears' visitation rights.
Kaplan said if visitation is restored, it would be under more restrictions than those originally imposed by Gordon.
One expert in family law agreed that the hearing provides Spears her only hope of resuming visits with her children before a custody trial scheduled for April.
"Usually, when someone has the threat of losing their children, they'll do anything to get their children back," said Lynn Soodik, who predicted visitation rights could be restored if Spears appears and offers an explanation.
"This is not a punishment for her," Soodik said. "It's what's in the best interest of the children. The judge has to carefully weigh their safety versus not seeing their mother. It's drastic to have no contact with their mother."
Soodik said Gordon could order monitored visitation in a location away from Spears' home "in some kind of setting where the judge can assure that she wouldn't be able to lock the kids in a room with her."

Britney Spears to get one more chance at visitation rights on Monday

Lawyers, cops, emergency workers, and such will go before Commissioner Scott Gordon on Monday to dicuss whether or not Britney Spears is sane enough to ever visit with her two sons again. The big question is: will Britney show up for the hearing?
Spears isn't required to attend, but according to TMZ the trainwreck's attorney wants her there. Britney's legal team knows that someone will have to defend her actions following the televised breakdown and standoff at her house the week before last.
Britney's attorney seems sick of having to stand up for Spears when she won't even show up to defend herself. TMZ is also reporting that the LAPD refuses to help Britney get in and out of the courtroom if she shows up. I guess they too are tired of dealing with her too.
The former pop star needs to put together a solid plan tomorrow or she may not even get a chance at visitation rights with her children between now and her next trial in April.
Monday's hearing is guaranteed to be juicy whether Britney shows or not.

Britney tried to buy her sons from K-Fed for $100m

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Britney Spears begged ex-husband Kevin Federline to sell her their two kids for a multi-million payoff in a tearful phone call, hours before her well-publicised meltdown, it has been revealed.
The troubled singer, who was due to hand over the children to Federline on Jan 3, made an agonised call to the rapper, offering to buy them for a whopping 100 million dollars.
A source said that it was at this point when Federline sensed that something was wrong and immediately asked his legal team to alert the authorities, who eventually took the Toxic singer to hospital for mental evaluation.
“Britney said that Kevin could have an incredible 100 million dollars if he’d give her the kids and never see them again, News of the World quoted the source, as saying.
“He’s used to Britney going off on one, but he knew from her voice that this was a whole other thing entirely. He hung up straight away and called his legal team in a panic.
“He told them that Britney was capable of anything and admitted that she still kept two handguns at the housethe pistol he bought her for a birthday gift and a black automatic Glock. The lawyers called the police immediately, the source added.
Following the singer’s hysterical antics, a Los Angeles judge has awarded the “sole legal custody and sole physical custody” of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to Federline, until another hearing on January 14. (ANI)