Jury Selection Begins In Britney Spears’ Driver’s License Case

The following italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:

Britney Spears’ legal team headed to court on Wednesday, as jury selection began in the pop star’s driver’s license case.

Because the single charge of driving without a license is a misdemeanor, Britney will not be required to appear in court during the trial.

Attorneys for both sides were present in the Van Nuys courthouse early Wednesday.
The judge met with all sides behind closed doors for nearly an hour.

Following the meeting in chambers, Britney’s attorney, Michael Flanagan, told Access Hollywood they will proceed with the trial and jury selection will soon begin.

The driving without a license charge stems from an August 2007 incident, in which the starlet was videotaped as she bumped another vehicle while parking her Mercedes-Benz. She left — without leaving a note — after looking over the damage to her car from the fender-bender.

The owner of the other vehicle later filed a police report and Britney was charged a month later with misdemeanor hit-and-run and driving without a valid license.

The hit-and-run charges were dismissed in October 2007 after Spears paid an undisclosed sum to the owner.

Last week, Flanagan, rejected a plea deal, which would’ve carried a penalty of a $150 fine and 12 months probation for the singer.

“A misdemeanor is a criminal offense and I will not plead to one,” Flanagan told Access Hollywood. “This [case] is a tremendous waste of time.”

As a result, Flanagan instead opted for a jury trial, which began today.

Flanagan has maintained that Britney was driving with a valid Louisiana license at the time, because she owns homes in that state.

However, prosecutors suggest because she has lived in California for quite some time, Britney was legally required to have California license, which she has since obtained.

“The max you could get is six months in jail, but I’ve never seen it,” Flanagan said after last week’s hearing.

According to People, Britney now faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Source: Access Hollywood