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The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:
Does Sam Lutfi want back in the Britney picture? Or does he just not want some stinkin' judge telling him what to do (let alone some stinkin' commissioner)?Sources tell E! News that the former member of preconservatorship Team Spears is willing to fight the restraining order that's been keeping him at least 250 yards away from his popster pal since Feb. 1.A hearing on conservatorship issues, including whether to make the Spears family's order against Lutfi permanent, is scheduled for July 31."Sam won’t sign a permanent stay-away," a Lutfi insider says.So far, Lutfi has "quietly" allowed the current order to be extended twice without appearing in court to object, with the last rollover occurring April 16."He just agreed to it," Lutfi spokesman Michael Sands said at the time. "Sam and the family are communicating and cooperating, trying to do what's best for Britney."But while the onetime flashbulb target "just wants the whole case to go away," he is apparently eager to at least clear his name, considering 2 a.m. shopping sprees and other questionable bonding experiences are a thing of the past."If they want to go to trial, he will go to trial," the source said. "He did nothing wrong."Source: E! Online
The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:The lawyers who have been toiling for Britney Spears and her family are about to cash in big-time. A court commissioner on Thursday approved a request from Britney's coconservators to pay nearly $400,000 in legal bills using money from her estate's private trust, which includes the "Toxic" singer's bank and brokerage accounts and is temporarily under her brother, Bryan Spears', control. (View the case review.)Coconservator Andrew Wallet and attorneys representing Britney, dad Jamie Spears and Bryan Spears were the only ones present at the afternoon hearing, during which all agreed it would be all right to dip into the pop princess' estimated $100 million fortune to settle their fees. "The conservators monitor closely every penny that goes in and out," conservatorship attorney Geraldine Wyle said in supporting the decision. Britney's estate has been paying her medical and personal bills, as well as her $1,500 per week in "walking-around money," Jamie Spears' weekly $2,500 allowance and legal fees related to her conservatorship and child-custody proceedings. Following a brief closed session, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz allocated a $100,000 advance to Wallet; $10,000 per week to Britney's court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham, until July 31, when the temporary conservatorship is currently set to expire; $175,000 to Wyle's firm, Luce Forward; $22,500 for Bryan Spears' attorney, Clark Byam; and $75,000 to family attorney Stacy Phillips, who was recently rehired to fight Britney's custody battles. All of the advances are an estimated half of what the lawyers will eventually bill and cover work done through March 31. Goetz also delayed a ruling on Bryan Spears' request to consolidate all of his sister's name-brand businesses and other companies within her trust until July 31, when the court is expect to decide whether a permanent conservatorship should be established. The commissioner also took the opportunity to further censure attorney Jon Eardley's latest attempt to wrest control of Britney's welfare away from her dad, citing a federal judge's previous ruling that Eardley had no authority to act on the popster's behalf. "[U.S. District Judge Philip] Gutierrez in the federal court, as well as this court several times, have made findings that Eardley is not an attorney of record for Ms. Spears," Goetz reiterated Thursday. "There has been no finding that he represents her." A three-judge panel tossed out Eardley's appeal of the conservatorship on March 24.In a statement released by spokesman Michael Sands, Eardley, who says he was not notified of Thursday's hearing, called the awarding of fees "excessive and unnecessary." Source: E! Online
The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:Sam Lutfi says he is on Britney Spears' side as he fights against an extension of a restraining order from her family."Sam and the family are communicating and cooperating trying to do whats best for Britney," Lutfi's spokesman, Michael Sands, said in a statement to Usmagazine.com.In fact, Lutfi agreed to stay away from the singer through July.At the family's request, Judge Aviva Bobb extended the restraining order until July 31.Lawyers were in attendance but neither Lutfi nor a member of the Spears family appeared at court.Lutfi has been forbidden from going within 250 yards of Spears and her home since February.In a six-page declaration released in February, Lynne Spears accused Lutfi of grinding up Risperdal, a sleeping medication, and Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug prescribed to treat bipolar disorder, and giving them to Britney.Lutfi himself admitted in an Us Weekly cover story that he had given Britney "a handful of pills" to help her sleep. Britney, Lutfi told Us, agreed that the meds were helping her sleep.Spears, meanwhile, returned to the recording studio this week with former manager Larry Rudolph.Source: US Weekly
The following italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:A temporary restraining order against Britney Spears’ friend Sam Lutfi was extended Wednesday after an attorney told a judge all parties had agreed on the matter. Lutfi was not at the hearing, during which an attorney for Spears’ father gave Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb a document with Lutfi’s signature. Attorney Vivian Thoreen said James Spears, Lutfi and Andrew Wallet, an attorney who is co-conservator of Britney Spears’ estate, agreed to continue the hearing on the restraining order to July 31. The restraining order was requested by Britney Spears’ mother, Lynne, when the singer was hospitalized on a psychiatric hold. The order, which was to expire Wednesday, directs Lutfi to stay at least 250 yards away from the pop star and her homes. Earlier, Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz transferred the matter to Bobb’s court because Lutfi objected to having a commissioner hear it instead of a judge. Bobb is the supervisory judge for probate matters. Goetz will continue to handle the conservatorship of Britney Spears and her estate. In a statement, Lutfi spokesman Michael Sands said: “Sam and the family are communicating and cooperating trying to do what’s best for Britney.”Source: Access Hollywood
The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:Britney Spears' former manager and friend Sam Lutfi just told X17 that he will not be appearing in court today for a hearing regarding the temporary restraining order filed against him by Spears' parents. The restraining order will be voluntarily extended, and Lutfi will not be challenging it. Lutfi's spokesperson Michael Sands said, "Sam and the family are communicating and cooperating, trying to do what's best for Britney...to the best of my knowledge the case has been continued."Britney Spears' legal team is scheduled to appear in court at 1:30PM PST today for the hearing. Jamie and Lynne Spears originally filed the temporary restraining order against Lutfi on their daughter's behalf on February 1, 2008. When the restraining order was filed, Lynne Spears swore in a written declaration that Lutfi was drugging her daughter, among other allegations.What do you think about all this court drama?Source: X17
The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:Sam Lutfi is getting with the program. He wouldn't mind changing the channel, though.Despite having agreed to an extension of the restraining order mandating he stay away at least 250 yards away from Britney Spears, Lutfi filed a motion Friday objecting to the Los Angeles court commissioner who's presiding over the case. "Sam did agree to a 30-day extension of the restraining order," Lutfi spokesman Michael Sands told E! News on Tuesday. "However, Sam Lutfi is not stipulating to Commissioner [Reva] Goetz. If need be, Lutfi can be heard in front of a Los Angeles Superior Court judge." (View the notice.) Lutfi, who sources have said was involved in the recent effort to get Spears' conservatorship case moved to federal court, would be willing to appear in court on April 16—the temporary restraining order's new expiration date—to state his position. "There's nothing out of the ordinary that Sam is doing," Sands insisted. "No person has to agree to a commissioner hearing the case. A commissioner is not a judge. If need be, and if this is going to go on, unfortunately, then [Lutfi wants it] heard in front of a judge. Basically, I just believe that Sam would like all of this to go away." While a commissioner performs many of the same actions as a judge—a commissioner is also overseeing Spears and Kevin Federline's custody issues—all sides involved have to agree to it.
Sands maintains that the continued scrutiny Lutfi has been subjected to since Jamie and Lynne Spears sought to keep him away from their daughter is unfair. "I personally have been in touch with LAPD, mental health experts and paramedics who were at the home the night [Jan. 31] of the UCLA intervention," Sands said. "They all gave Sam Lutfi five stars for orchestrating and participating in getting Britney to UCLA." "I believe that if Sam brought his witnesses to court, need be, it would take the wind out of the conservators' sails," the rep added. "We all should just take it down and just have peace and harmony and everybody be left alone. Let it go away quietly." In her argument in favor of a restraining order, Lynne Spears filed a declaration last month alleging that Lutfi drugged her daughter, "essentially moved into her home" and went to great lengths to control her life. Source: E! Online
The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:Sam Lutfi wants out of the increasingly harsh limelight for awhile. A court commissioner signed off Monday on the agreement his camp brokered last week with Britney Spears' family to extend the temporary restraining order against him for another month. "He respects Britney, he respects the temporary restraining order and everyone is beating him up for no reason," Lutfi's rep, Michael Sands, said after the hearing. "Enough is enough." Lutfi, who dodged process servers for several weeks after the order was first granted to Jamie and Lynne Spears on Feb. 1, will continue to stay at least 250 yards away from Britney and any property she owns until Apr. 16. A federal judge had previously extended the order on Feb. 21, the day Lutfi was finally served. The singer's erstwhile BFF has been the target of serious accusations from Britney's parents since her Jan. 31 hospitalization at UCLA Medical Center. Lynne Spears has alleged that Lutfi drugged Britney by adding crushed, unspecified pills into her food, an issue the Los Angeles Police Department has taken into consideration for a formal investigation. Jamie Spears' attorneys have stated in court documents that his daughter's pal hit up her since-fired business manager, Howard Grossman, for money. Lutfi admitted to giving Britney a handful of pills on Jan. 30, claiming that they "worked wonders" on the troubled songstress, who sources said wasn't sleeping and was displaying erratic, anxious behavior in the days leading up to her week-long stay at UCLA.Britney's medical issues and finances were also discussed Monday, albeit in a closed courtroom."Orders were submitted and will be considered about her medical condition, but privacy issues require these remain sealed," Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini told E! News.A hearing on the 730 psych evaluation Goetz ordered to help determine Britney's ability to make decisions that are currently under the control of her coconservators has been scheduled for Apr. 17, the day after the court is set to revisit the Lutfi affair. Source: E! Online
The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:Sam Lutfi's restraining order expires today, and the judge is expected to extend the order for another 30 days. But Britney Spears' confidante reportedly does not plan on fighting the extension. One possible reason? It has apparently come to the attention of father Jamie Spears that Sam may have shanghaied expensive gifts that were originally meant for Britney. "We are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise that was only intended for Britney, and given to Sam in good faith to be given to her," a source tells PageSix.com. "She was completely unaware that he accepted very expensive jewelry, fur coats, and other high-end goods that were never given to her. Britney claims she was completely unaware, and Sam had kept the goods and given some of them to his sister."Michael Sands, Sam Lutfi's spokesperson, tells us that, "Britney was aware of the merchandise, and if she didn't want it, Sam donated it to charity." PageSix.com will be in the courtroom this afternoon, so stay tuned.Source: Page Six
The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:Jon Eardley, the attorney who filed a request to have Britney Spears' custody and conservatorship cases moved to the federal courts, has appealed the February 1 decision that granted Jamie Spears control of the pop star's affairs. In documents obtained by PageSix.com, Eardley claims that Brit wasn't given the proper five-day notice prior to the hearing. Because it was determined that Britney isn't fit to retain her own counsel, Eardley has never officially represented the pop star. Eardley, who practices law out of his mother-in-law's home, shares spokesperson Michael Sands with Brit's former pal Sam Lutfi. Source: Page Six
The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:Talk about screwed up -- Britney Spears is having to pay her new lawyer big bucks for challeging another lawyer's bill.Our sources tell us, Stacy Phillips, Brit's lawyer du jour, took K-Fed's deposition this past Monday. Phillips grilled Federleze like a cheeseburger, asking him about ... his lawyer's bill! That's right, Mark Vincent Kaplan is asking for a cool half mil for repping K-Daddy these past five months and he wants Brit to pay. We're told Phillips will challenge that bill in court on Monday.We're also told Phillips deposed MVK (last Tuesday), along with his former publicist, Michael Sands (last Wednesday) about precisely the same issue -- the reasonableness of Kaplan's fee.We haven't been able to find out how much Britney will have to pay Phillips, but are you getting the irony?Here's what's really ironic. When disso-queen Laura Wasser left the case, Britney had 50/50 custody. Since then, she lost custody, lost visitation and basically has squat -- and it could cost her more than a million bucks in legal fees.Source: TMZ
The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:Britney Spears' dad Jamie will be in charge of her affairs through the summer.Court Public Information Officer Allen Parachini confirms to PageSix.com that lawyers for Jamie Spears filed an unexpected ex-parte motion in the matter today today, and Commissioner Goetz extended the conservatorship through July 31, 2008.Parachini also tells us that the original hearing on the case, scheduled for Monday March 10th, is still on the calendar and will take place. Also on the horizon for Brit: a custody hearing (on Monday as well), and a hearing on the temporary restraining order against Sam Lutfi (on March 17).In addition to extending his conservatorship, PageSix.com has learned that America's busiest dad, Jamie, attended the deposition of Michael Sands today in connection to the custody case. Sands, a former spokesperson for Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, currently speaks for Sam Lutfi and Jon Eardley, the attorney who failed in an attempt to get all of Brit's cases moved to federal court.Source: Page Six
The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:Is this going to piss off Kevin Federline? TMZ is at the law office of Stacy Phillips waiting for Michael Sands' deposition.Stacy wants Sands to spill the beans on what went down while he was the PR flack for Mark Vincent Kaplan, K-Daddy's lawyer. Jamie is the co-conservator for Brit, which may explain his presence. The real question -- Sands has split from Kaplan after an ugly break-up and the PR guy is pissed. He's about to arrive.Stay tuned ...Source: TMZ
The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:Sam Lutfi's spokesperson, Michael Sands, is set to be deposed tomorrow -- not as a representative of Sam but as the former spokesperson for Kevin Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan. He's being put under oath in connection with KFed's custody suit.Brit's former attorneys Trope & Trope subpoenaed Sands in hopes of getting some dirt on Kaplan and some inside scoop on the way Kevin's custody case is being run. And it looks like they'll get it! (Attorney Stacy Phillips will be handling the case now.)Sands says he's privy to LOTS of juicy details; he told X17online exclusive, the following:"I'll have to reveal the name of the person who told me Sam Lufti was a drug dealer and that I should plant that he was a drug dealer in the media. There were two people who witnessed this and I'll have to say who they are... "I'll also have to reveal the name of the person who told me, after I'd beensubpoenaed -- I'd already picked up the subpoena from my post office box -- to actually take the subpoena back to the post office and put it back in thebox. I was told to pretend I'd never got it."Whoa! And then Brit IS set to testify on March 17th in favor of dropping the restraining order against Sam, we hear. Lots and lots of legal battles to come!Will Brit also testify against her parents to have her father's conservatorship over her estate removed?Is Jamie, who filed for bankruptcy in 1988, the best choice of people to be handling Britney's finances? And what about reports that Britney's money has been slowly disappearing over the past year? If it's true, where has that money been going?Source: X17
The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:We've been hearing rumblings for a good week now that something EXPLOSIVE is going to happen in the Britney conservatorship/Sam Lutfi restraining order legal mess. Sam's spokesman Michael Sands -- who also happens to be the spokesman for the attorney Britney apparently retained, John Eardley -- quotes Eardley as saying:"I have uncovered explosive evidence that will shock the world. If so much as a hair on Britney Spears' head is harmed, I will hold everyone who has anything to do with Britney, personally liable and the people involved will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I will leave no stone unturned!"Meanwhile, News of the World reports that Britney will be the star witness in a hearing set for March 17 in which she and her attorney Eardley will try to overturn the restraining order obtained by her family, against Sam Lutfi.The report says Britney will present evidence against her parents and that Sam will argue Britney is getting drugs from "other visitors" -- visitors other than whom, we're not sure. There have hardly been any visitors other than Britney's parents and Adnan.So will this hearing happen and will Britney take the stand???Perhaps the larger question is whether Eardley is even able to legally represent Britney. Because Brit's father was named conservator, that would suggest that the court has found her unable to retain her own council and, in fact, not authorized to do so.Source: X17
The following italicized article is taken from www.pagesix.com:Michael Sands, current spokesman for Sam Lutfi and Jon Eardley and former spokesman for Mark Vincent Kaplan, will very soon be deposed in Britney Spears' custody case.PageSix.com has exclusively learned that Sands, who had been subpoenaed by Brit lawyers Trope and Trope, will now be questioned by new Spears family law attorney Stacey Phillips at her Los Angeles office on March 5.
Inside sources explain that Kaplan, K-Fed's lawyer, "is extremely nervous and apprehensive about the deposition and is expected to object to any line of questioning that Michael could have been privy to while he worked for Kaplan."And we don't blame him. An enthusiastic Sands exclusively tells us, "I welcome the opportunity to testify under oath about what Mark said to me about Sam Lutfi, and I'm willing to take a lie detector test to talk about what the truth is about Sam Lutfi and other specifics regarding the ongoing custody battle. I wonder why Mark is worried about my deposition."Sands adds that he would also be happy to testify at Sam's restraining-order hearing, slated for March 17, telling us, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!"Source: Page Six
The following italicized article is taken from www.x17online.com:Michael Sands, the spokesperson for Brit's attorney Jon Eardley, says that Eardley filed documents yesterday with the federal court requesting a jury trial.If Judge Philip Gutierrez, whom, according to Sands "is willing to listen", approves the request, Britney herself will get the chance to take the stand and speak for herself in a court of law.Additionally, Sands tells us Gutierrez moved up the deadline for filing paperwork to today, the 22nd, (from February 29th) and that Eardley is ready to go with his defense of Britney's civil rights violation.As we reported yesterday, Sam, Michael Sands and Jon Eardley may be in court today (Sands wasn't yet sure) to discuss the restraining order that Sam willingly accepted Thursday morning.
Stay tuned...Source: X17
The following italicized article is taken from www.x17online.com:That's what we're hearing! An X17 source tells us that Commissioner Scott Gordon has apparently "had it" with the large number of ex-parte hearings called in the Britney case - they're not normal. Tomorrow's 8:30 a.m. hearing (Brit herself is not expected to appear) will consolidate a number of issues. Also, Britney's lawyers Trope and Trope - who are arguing for Brit even though they're on their way out - will make a motion to revert to the September '07 order, which would give back Britney and ex-husband Kevin Federline 50-50 custody of their two boys. We also hear Trope and Trope will request a gag order. Britney's been recently talking with her new attorney, Jon Eardley, telling him: "I want my life back.! Via his spokesman Michael Sands, Eardley tells us that "the conservatorship is radically oppressive and unnecessary."In the paperwork filed by Eardley last Thursday, the documents point out Brit's "deprivation of civil rights." This includes the following: - Britney not being allowed "a single hearing before the court" - Not being able to "access counsel of her choosing and to meet with her counsel in a private meeting"- Being "denied the right to associate freely with her friends" - which also includes no telephone calls, no driving nor the right "to receive and send mail" - And lastly, "she has been denied the right to her finances."That's quite a lot to have taken away, don't ya think?Source: X17
The following italicized article is taken from www.hollyscoop.com:There is something definitely fishy going on in this Britney Spears case and something tells me that Sam Lutfi has something to do with it. Britney Spears has hired a new lawyer whom she’s only spoken on the phone with. She apparently called him and asked him to rep her so she can get control of her life back. Her new lawyers name is Jon Eardley, and his rep happens to be Michael Sands. Sands also reps Sam Lutfi. Coincidence? I think not! According to x17, Britney spoke to Jon on Saturday night saying, "I want my life back; I want to be able to drive my car; I want to be able to live in my house by myself. I want to say who is going to be my security guard. I want to see who I want to see at any time and make it happen." This same attorney filed paperwork to have Britney’s conservatorship case moved from state to federal court. This just goes to show you that Sam definitely has some communication with Britney Spears. How much of a coincidence could it be that Britney hired a lawyer who then hired Sam Lutfi’s spokesperson? If they’re trying to be slick, they can try a little harder.Source: Hollyscoop
The following italicized article is taken from www.people.com:The man who claims to be Britney Spears's new lawyer says that the pop star is being "deprived of her Constitutional rights" and tells PEOPLE he is seeking a "return to normalcy" when it comes to Spears's living and legal situations. Jon Eardley, a lawyer with practices in Washington, D.C., and New York, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on behalf of Spears on Thursday. He lashed out against the existing conservatorship as a "violation of [Spears's] civil rights," and requested the case be moved from California state court to a federal court. "I see the case as a civil rights case," he tells PEOPLE. "These are issues of confinement. Very serious confinement. Not allowed to contact her friends. Not allowed to use the phone. Not allowed to come and go as you please. Bodyguards controlling you and so forth."Spears's father Jamie was granted temporary conservatorship – allowing legal control of his daughter's well-being and finances – after Spears was placed under an involuntary, emergency hold at the UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward late last month.Since her release on Feb. 6, she has spent much of her time at her Studio City home, and when she does go out, she is usually driven by a bodyguard. In court papers, Eardley states: "She is being confined by the conservator to the private prison of her own home." On Friday, a Superior Court spokesperson said that the existing conservatorship and other orders "are still in effect," and that court officials are unaware of any federal court action or scheduled hearings on the matter. Legal Maneuvering"The saddest part [of the legal maneuvering] is it is all to [Britney's] detriment," says a legal insider. "The limited conservatorship puts in place medical care and protection of her assets that may be put at risk by the distraction and expense of having to get such an opportunistic and counterproductive action dismissed." In fact, legal experts say Eardley's legal gambit is unlikely to succeed. "It's not like the judge read papers filed by one side and made decisions without giving each side due process," says Loyola Law School Professor Stan Goldman, who is not involved in the case. "It would be quite surprising if the federal court granted a hearing on this," he adds, "and a total shocker if it ruled against the conservatorship." In addition, the Superior Court has found that Spears "lacks the capacity" to retain counsel of her choosing. Because of that, lawyer Adam Streisand, who went to court on Feb. 4 to challenge the conservatorship on her behalf, removed himself himself from the case. Spears Sought Out LawyerEardley says he has not met the pop star, but Spears sought him out: "She reached out by phone. I have no idea how [she got my number]." The attorney says he doesn't normally represent celebrity clients. But now Eardley has hired publicist Michael Sands, who until recently worked with Kevin Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan. When asked if Spears's often-erratic behavior posed a danger to herself and others, Eardley answered, "I don’t," adding that he sees far worse cases on the streets. "In downtown Los Angeles I'm surrounded by people talking to themselves and having fits on the street," says Eardley. "They are out in public. They are not being institutionalized." Source: People
The following italicized article is taken from www.tmz.com:The lawyer who derailed the Britney Spears conservatorship case tells TMZ Britney herself called him and asked him to take the reigns. The question: Will a judge be buyin' what he's sellin'?Attorney John Eardley filed papers in federal court last Thursday, alleging the California courts have railroaded Britney by imposing a conservatorship. Eardley tells us Britney called him, but he would not disclose the circumstances surrounding the alleged call or what she said. We do know that Michael Sands, who used to be the spokesperson for K-daddy's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, is now the mouthpiece for Eardley. And Sands also reps Sam Lutfi, who is now restrained from all things Britney.Read more here!Source: TMZ
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The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:
