Custody Hearing For Britney Spears

LOS ANGELES (AP) A court commissioner granted lawyers for Britney Spears and Kevin Federline more time to discuss Spears' visitation with their children then abruptly ended a custody hearing Thursday

Thursday, October 11th 2007, 3:41 pm

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) A court commissioner granted lawyers for Britney Spears and Kevin Federline more time to discuss Spears' visitation with their children then abruptly ended a custody hearing Thursday without ruling on whether the troubled singer should be allowed to have overnight visits.

After a closed-door hearing in his chambers, Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon said the attorneys needed more time to confer on the matter.

It was unclear whether the lawyers would continue discussions elsewhere Thursday. Sheriff's deputies escorted them out of the courtroom and to a back staircase after the hearing.

Britney Spears' attorney, Anne Kiley, had requested Thursday's emergency session in an effort to win overnight visits for the pop star who lost custody of her children on October 1.

Anne Kiley argued during an open session of the hearing that overnight visits are critical for Spears to bond with her sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James.

``I do think it is an emergency for them not to have overnights with their mother, which they've always had,'' Kiley said. ``What possible concern can he (Federline) have if there are monitors present?''

Kevin Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told Gordon it was frustrating that Spears' lawyers would return to court and try to change Gordon's October 1 custody order so soon after it was issued.

``If she could remedy all of those problems in one week that would be a miracle,'' he said.

When he took the children away, Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon said Britney Spears had engaged in ``habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol.'' He ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week and have a monitor present when she does visit with her children.

Attorney Anne Kiley said that Spears' own mother, Lynne Spears, could be interested in acting as a monitor for overnight visits, and attorneys for both sides alluded to a warming relationship between Spears and her mother.

Although the commissioner did not appear persuaded, he adjourned the hearing so the attorneys could discuss the matter, then get back to him.

``If, in fact, there are family members who are present and trying to help, that might do some positive things,'' he said.

Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, married in October 2004 and divorced in July. Neither appeared in court Thursday.