Brit’s hushed hearing over dad control
Britney Spears was ushered into a closed courtroom under tight security Friday after asking to testify about her decadelong conservatorship, her lawyer said.
Attorney Samuel Ingham addressed the court before her arrival, saying he wanted to make it clear the “status hearing was set at the request of my client. She requested an opportunity to address the court in person.”
Ingham then asked the Los Angeles County probate judge to clear the courtroom for the pop icon’s privacy.
“She intends to discuss issues related to her medical care, her minor children and trade secrets,” he said before the judge ordered the gallery closed to spectators.
At that point, Spears, 37, was escorted in through a back door. Her mother Lynne Spears was spotted by her side.
The “Toxic” singer left about an hour later and was photographed walking barefoot to a car, according to TMZ.com.
A minute order said the singer and both of her parents appeared at the hearing and that the parties agreed to a “730 expert evaluation.” It did not describe the nature the evaluation.
The conservatorship run by her father, Jamie Spears, was left in place pending a followup status hearing Sept. 18, the minute order said.
The Friday hearing was abruptly placed on the court calendar on April 23, the same day TMZ reported the singer was finishing a 30-day stay at a mental health facility triggered by problems with her meds.
About a dozen fans waving #FreeBritney and #EndTheConservatorship signs protested outside Friday and milled in the hallways.
Spears won a restraining order this week against her former self-styled manager Sam Lutfi, who has fueled the #FreeBritney online campaign and now must keep his distance.