Britney Spears won't have to sit for deposition by father's lawyers, judge rules
A judge ruled Wednesday that Britney Spears doesn't have to sit for a deposition by her father's lawyers in the post-conservatorship era. But a lawyer for the elder Spears said he'd ask for an appellate review of that and two other decisions by the judge.
Britney Spears is challenging an accounting and a fees request and her father's lawyers want to explore her thoughts on the topics and ask her for any relevant documents.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny affirmed a tentative ruling she issued July 13 when she found that the entertainer's deposition testimony wasn't relevant to the information sought by Jamie Spears' counsel.
The judge said the information could be obtained through written questions to Britney Spears and testimony from other parties.
The judge had previously denied Jamie Spears' requests for documents from his daughter on the grounds that they weren't relevant. On Wednesday, she also denied his attorneys' request to depose an expert hired by Kroll, a private investigator firm the 40-year-old singer's lawyers used to examine the actions of Jamie Spears while he was the co-conservator for years of his daughter's business interests.
Jamie Spears' lawyer, Alex Weingarten, said he'll seek an appellate review of all three decisions, asserting his client is entitled to the two depositions and the documents under the law.
Weingarten said Britney Spears is where she is today because of the 13- year conservatorship and the efforts of her father.
"Mr. Spears is proud of what he has done for his daughter in protecting her from svengalis, Rasputins and other unscrupulous people," Weingarten said.
However, Britney Spears' lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, said that if Jamie Spears loves his daughter as he claims, he'll accept the judge's ruling and move on.
A deposition of the singer would only "re-traumatize her," said Rosengart, who also attacked Weingarten's comments that the entire Britney Spears court file could potentially be unsealed one day. Rosengart said the unsealing would make public the performer's medical records and other private information.