Britney Spears Allowed New Lawyer In Conservatorship Case
A new attorney has been appointed to represent Britney Spears in her conservatorship after a hearing in which the singer tearfully spoke about the case's impact on her life.
A
new
attorney
has
been
appointed
to
represent
Britney
Spears
in
her
conservatorship
after
a
hearing
in
which
the
singer
tearfully
spoke
about
the
case's
impact
on
her
life.
Los
Angeles
Superior
Court
Judge
Brenda
Penny
on
Wednesday
approved
Spears
hiring
former
federal
prosecutor
Mathew
Rosengart
to
represent
her.
The
ruling
was
cheered
by
fans
outside
the
courthouse.
Rosengart
requested
that
Spears'
father,
James,
be
removed
as
her
conservator,
but
that
was
rejected.
Spears
spoke
for
the
second
hearing
in
a
row,
at
one
point
calling
the
acts
of
the
conservatorship
that
has
governed
her
personal
and
financial
affairs
since
early
2008
“cruelty.”
She
asked
that
the
case
end
immediately,
but
not
if
she
has
to
go
through
more
“stupid”
evaluations.
Spears
spoke
rapidly
while
addressing
the
court,
breaking
down
in
tears
toward
the
end
of
her
remarks.
The
hearing
came
three
weeks
after
Spears
dramatically
addressed
the
court
for
the
first
time
in
open
session,
telling
Penny
she
was
being
forced
to
take
medication
and
use
an
intrauterine
device
for
birth
control,
said
she
was
not
allowed
to
marry
her
boyfriend,
and
said
she
wanted
to
own
her
own
money.
“I
just
want
my
life
back,”
Spears
said
on
June
23.
Spears'
remarks
led
to
the
resignation
of
her
court-appointed
lawyer,
the
withdrawal
of
an
estate-management
company
that
was
supposed
to
oversee
her
finances,
and
a
volley
of
accusations
between
her
father
and
a
professional
conservator
over
who's
to
blame
for
the
legal
circumstances
Spears
said
are
“abusive”
and
need
to
end.
Spears
supporters
amassed
outside
the
Los
Angeles
courthouse
where
the
hearing
was
held,
as
they
have
during
recent
hearings.
Florida
congressman
Matt
Gaetz
made
a
brief
appearance
addressing
the
crowd.
“Well,
now
the
whole
world
knows
what
Britney
Spears
wants,
and
it
is
the
freedom
and
the
liberty
that
should
be
offered
to
every
single
American.
Free
Britney!”
he
shouted.
In
Washington,
D.C.,
a
group
of
Spears
supporters
demonstrated
on
the
National
Mall
in
support
of
the
singer.
Spears
has
been
under
court
supervision,
with
her
father
and
a
team
of
attorneys
controlling
her
life
and
finances,
since
February
2008.
She
was
in
the
midst
of
a
public
meltdown
at
the
time
and
her
family
sought
the
conservatorship
for
her
protection.
The
case
had
for
several
years
operated
with
little
drama,
though
in
recent
years
questions
about
how
long
it
had
gone
on,
and
the
singer's
feelings
about
the
case,
started.
That
has
culminated
in
recent
months
into
intense
public
scrutiny
of
the
court
proceedings,
which
have
been
conducted
largely
in
secret
due
to
medical
and
private
information
about
the
singer
and
her
condition.
There's
also
been
focus
on
the
complex
network
of
lawyers
and
others
involved
in
the
conservatorship.
At
the
June
23
hearing,
Spears
was
harshly
critical
of
her
father,
who
serves
as
conservator
of
her
finances,
and
had
more
measured
criticism
for
Jodi
Montgomery,
the
court-appointed
professional
who
serves
as
conservator
of
her
person,
overseeing
her
life
choices.
James
Spears
said
in
a
legal
filing
that
the
court
needs
to
investigate
the
allegations
and
Montgomery's
role,
pointing
out
that
his
daughter's
personal
life
has
been
beyond
his
control
since
he
resigned
as
conservator
of
her
person
in
2019,
a
role
he
played
for
11
years.
He
opposed
Montgomery's
request
for
money
to
hire
security
because
of
recent
death
threats,
saying
he
has
been
subjected
to
similar
threats
for
years.
Montgomery
denied
that
Britney
Spears
was
prevented
from
marrying
or
forced
to
use
birth
control.
She
lashed
back
at
James
Spears,
saying
that
Britney
Spears
has
expressed
no
desire
to
oust
her
as
she
has
with
her
father.
Montgomery
said
she
is
committed
to
staying
on
the
job
and
is
putting
a
care
plan
in
place
to
help
end
the
conservatorship,
something
she
said
James
Spears
has
expressed
no
desire
to
do.
Despite
nearly
two
years
on
the
job,
Montgomery's
status
is
still
technically
temporary.
She
appeared
to
be
on
track
for
permanent
appointment
before
recent
events.
The
Bessemer
Trust,
a
financial
company
that
Spears
had
sought
as
a
replacement
for
her
father
last
year
but
was
instead
appointed
to
work
alongside
him,
also
withdrew
from
the
conservatorship
last
week,
saying
it
no
longer
wanted
to
take
part
in
a
legal
arrangement
that
the
singer
didn't
want.