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.

Basshunter pips Britney to top chart

LONDON (Reuters) - Basshunter's Euro dance track "Now You're Gone" fought off troubled pop star Britney Spears to become Britain's new number one single.
Spears's single "Piece of Me" climbed 17 places to two, but Basshunter -- the pseudonym used by Swedish DJ Jonas Altberg -- went one better as "Now You're Gone" rose 13 places to take top spot, the Official UK Charts Company said on Sunday.
Earlier this month Spears spent almost two days in a Los Angeles hospital after being taken from her home on a stretcher follow a standoff with police after hysterically refusing to hand back her two children to ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Spears's life has careered out of control since she divorced Federline in 2006. She lost custody of the boys last year.
Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" dropped one place to three, with Canadian rock band Nickelback's "Rockstar" at four, while former X-Factor winner Leon Jackson -- last week's number one -- slipped to number five with "When You Believe".
There was just one new entry in the singles chart's top 10 with U.S. rapper Lupe Fiasco and "Superstar" coming in at number seven.
The album charts also had a new number one with Scottish singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald's debut long player -- "This is The Life" -- pushing rock band Radiohead's "In Rainbows" down to two.
The success of MacDonald, whose record first entered the charts in August, ensured the Oxford-based quintet's seventh studio album held top spot for just one week.
There were no new entries in the album chart's top 10, though Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant's collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss -- "Raising Sand" -- made a strong showing, rising 16 places to number six.

Breaking News: Britney Barely Makes It To Deposition

As first reported by OK!, following her decision on Wednesday to blow off her second court-ordered — and seventh in total — deposition in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Britney Spears was given one final chance to make good on her legal responsibilities. All she had to do was show up today at 9:45 a.m. PT to give her deposition.
And yet, Britney, sporting a bright fuschia halter dress and black Christian Louboutin heels — "She was strutting like a supermodel," one witness tells OK! — didn't arrive at the office of K-Fed's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan until over 90 minutes later at 11:20am PT.So where was she all morning? The troubled singer left her home in Beverly Hills around 10:15 a.m., only to turn her car around and head back into her gated community. At first, her wingman Sam Lutfi, who was in the car's passenger seat, told members of the paparazzi that Britney would indeed show. And then OK! heard that Britney had sent her limo driver and Sam away, and that she would NOT be at the deposition!And then, just after 11am, Brit was spotted driving herself in her white Mercedes in the direction of Century City, where Kaplan's office is located. Slightly before noon, Brit emerged from Kaplan's office and drove off with her assistant Carla now along for the ride. Why such a short deposition? "It had been scheduled from 9:45 to 11:45 so she could be back home in time to be there when the boys arrived for their visitation day," explains an insider. "This was basically a big F-U to Kaplan by Britney. She showed up as late as she possibly could and left as quickly as she could."In a press conference following the deposition, Kaplan confirmed that the proceedings eventually began at 11:32am and ended at 11:45am. "Fourteen minutes is not a lot of time to develop a line of questions," Kaplan, who surprisingly described Britney as "cooperative," explained. He also told reporters that, as reported by OK! earlier today, there is a second day already scheduled for further deposing of the pop star. Britney arrived back at her Beverly Hills home shortly after noon and is now with her visiting children until the end of their scheduled time with mommy at 7pm tonight.
source: OK

Brit's Big Exit

Britney exited Mark Kaplan's office just a few minutes ago, looking as self-assured as when she went in!
X17 is hearing that Spears has the kids tonight until 7 pm - will it be her last for a while?
Stay tuned for the deets on the big depo!
Hopefully Brit's eventual cooperation on the deposition will be duly noted in her ongoing custody with Kevin.

IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT...

TMZ is reporting that Trope & Trope, Britney's custody lawyers, have filed legal papers withdrawing as Britney's lawyers. In the legal papers, attorney Tara Scott from Trope and Trope wrote, "There has been a breakdown in communications between [Britney] and Trope and Trope making further representation of her interests impossible."There is no word on whether Britney currently has a new lawyer to represent her in the on-going custody battle.

Spears' lawyers ask to quit custody case

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears' lawyers in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline are quitting.
The law firm Trope and Trope asked a court Wednesday to be relieved as Spears' attorneys. The firm says there's been a "breakdown" in communication with the pop princess that makes representing her "impossible," according to the filing, obtained by CelebTV.com.
A message left with a publicist for Spears' record label was not immediately returned.
Spears and Federline have been wrangling for months over custody of their sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James.
Federline has temporary custody because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. The two were married in October 2004 and finalized their divorce in July.
On a separate legal front, an attorney for Spears wants the city attorney's office to prove that the pop star is a permanent California resident and is subject to state laws that require her to have a valid California driver's license.
Spears faces up to a year of probation if convicted in a misdemeanor case of driving without a valid license, a charge to which she has pleaded not guilty. The case stems from a videotaped fender-bender in a parking lot in August. A hit-and-run charge has been dismissed.
Spears attorney J. Michael Flanagan earlier Wednesday requested that prosecutors be required to demonstrate that Spears, who owns homes in Louisiana and Florida, intends to make Los Angeles her permanent legal home.
"If they can establish that Britney is domiciled here in California, that she permanently intends to stay here, then she does have a requirement to get a license," Flanagan said in an interview. "Basically, it's a fix-it ticket."
Flanagan said Spears had a valid Louisiana license at the time of the incident and got a California license six days after the complaint was filed.
A call seeking comment from the city attorney's office was not immediately returned. The next court date is Jan. 25.