Britney Spears Won’t Have to Sit for Deposition in Legal Battle – The Hollywood Reporter

Los Angeles judge sided with Britney Spears on Wednesday and turned down her father’s need that she sit for a deposition.

At a listening to Wednesday in Los Angeles Remarkable Court, Choose Brenda Penny finalized her previously tentative decision to deny a ask for from attorneys for Jamie Spears to depose his daughter amid ongoing litigation more than his alleged misconduct all through her controversial 13-yr authorized conservatorship.

Britney’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, argued there was no reason for the pop star to face a deposition in the scenario, and named it an act of revenge by her father and his lawyers. “Whether he believes it or accepts it, what she went as a result of beneath him [was traumatic]. What would a respectable dad do? He would say, ‘That’s my daughter, I adore my daughter,’” Rosengart explained all through the listening to. “There is still hope that he sits with his counsel and talks about performing the suitable matter. A deposition of Britney Spears would re-traumatize her.”

Jamie’s attorneys, meanwhile, have indicated they will probably enchantment, indicating they are entitled to additional facts to protect their shopper. “As is the scenario with most of [Rosengart’s] arguments, it is directed at the media and not at the court docket,” said Alex Weingarten. “Mr. Spears did proper by his daughter. Mr. Spears shielded her wonderfully from Rasputins and Svengalis for 13 several years and the years prior to [entering the conservatorship]. By evidence, not speeches, the fact will occur out. There is no proof with regards to Mr. Spears’ misconduct and he will be vindicated.”

To this, Rosengart objected, saying, “Mr. Spears’ status was ruined by himself lengthy just before my organization entered this. If he needs to go on Tv or compose a guide to vindicate himself, fantastic luck.”

While she ruled on Britney’s deposition, Decide Penny did not difficulty a ruling on a further crucial query pending right before her: Irrespective of whether executives at the pop star’s former administration agency, Tri Star Sports & Leisure Team, should sit for depositions and change about extra paperwork to Britney’s legal group.

Rosengart, a previous federal prosecutor, has vowed to examine allegations of major wrongdoing by by Jamie, like getting millions of pounds and illegally spying on Britney. Before this thirty day period, he received a ruling forcing Jamie himself to transform about extra files and sit for a deposition.

Rosengart claims the Tri Star, Britney’s longtime company managers, have crucial information and facts for that probe — and likely participated in some of the bad behavior — but has decided on “stonewall and obfuscate” fairly than cooperate.

In Oct, he subpoenaed Tri Star and execs Lou Taylor and Robin Greenhill, citing allegations created in a blockbuster New York Situations documentary that Greenhill and other folks at Tri Star ended up associated in developing an “intense surveillance apparatus” to aid Jamie spy on Britney. That allegedly involved “mirroring” the iCloud account employed on her phones, allowing for them to monitor her in serious time.

Rosengart also claims that Tri Star played an integral function in producing the conservatorship in 2008, and then “profited handsomely” to the tune of $18 million. He’s pointed to e-mails in which Taylor allegedly reviewed how to opt for a judge that would oversee the conservatorship.

In November, Tri Star requested Judge Penny to reject Rosengart’s subpoenas, arguing it experienced presently shared a “complete set of its textbooks and records” and had had no part in any of the alleged wrongdoing: “Tri Star performed no element in any way in suggesting the institution of the conservatorship [and] no one at Tri Star has at any time advised checking Ms. Spears’ electronic communications.”

But at Wednesday’s hearing, after arguments from equally sides, Judge Penny left the concern undecided till a final ruling future month. In a tentative ruling, she advised that she would probably grant Rosengart’s subpoena, but would limit discovery to data pertaining to most the latest interval of the extensive conservatorship.

In a assertion adhering to the listening to, Tri Star attorney Scott Edelman said the judge’s likely ruling would be specifically what the firm wanted.

“Judge Penny’s tentative ruling was clear — discovery is going to be restricted to occasions and charges relevant to the 12th Accounting, just as Tri Star experienced asked for,” Edelman mentioned, referring to the closing period of time of the conservatorship. “In short, nowadays was a fantastic working day for Tri Star — whatsoever Ms. Spears’s counsel may well have tried using to spin on the courthouse ways. We look ahead to staying deposed, advancing this method and making sure that the total fact is at last shared.”

This story initially appeared on Billboard.com.