Britney Spears Misses Court Date

By: Shannon Gossage

On Wednesday night Spears lawyers filed an emergency court motion requesting overnight visitation supervised by her mother Lynne with her sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1. She reportedly did not show up for the 8:30 a.m. hearing. One source claims that she slept though the hearing, but her lawyer argued she didn’t show because of all of the media attention. Judge Scott Gordon did not rule on the request, but did say he did not think of the hearing as an "emergency." Gordon said that Spears "made a conscious choice not to do anything that was ordered." He said, "That was a choice. That put us in this position."

Spears’ lawyer Anne Kiley argued that it was an emergency situation saying, "I do think it is an emergency for a 2 and 1-year old to be with their mother. I feel it warrants overnights. For a 1 and 2 year old it is developmentally and psychologically traumatizing to have their routine disrupted. They need a normal routine at home. Right now, visitation ends at 3 and at that point they are taking naps and are then woken up from their naps." Gordon responded, "I think you are right. These are important times. But at the same time this is a person who is dealing with challenges. And the challenges are substance abuse issues and emotional issues that could have devastating effects on the children."

For not the custody arrangements stay the same with Spears ex husband Kevin Federline retaining full physical custody. Spears was granted visitation rights, but it must take place during the day and with a court-appointed monitor. Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, reportedly said last week, "I do not favor family members as monitors. It’s an inherent conflict of interest." The next court hearing is scheduled for October 26.