Britney and Sam Lutfi in December, 2007
Mystery lawyer Jon Eardley, who claims he has been hired by Britney Spears to contest her father’s conservatorship in federal court, has been smacked down by Federal Court Judge Phillip Gutierrez. TMZ is reporting that the lawyer’s filing earlier this week, in which he claims that Britney’s civil rights are being violated as long as Jamie Spears is her conservator, is being called “frivolous” and the case will most likely return to California state court by the end of the month.

A Federal judge in the Britney conservatorship case has issued a tentative ruling that the move to make a federal case out of it is ridiculous. Judge Philip Gutierrez set a deadline of February 29 for Britney’s so-called lawyer, Jon Eardley, to explain why on Earth the federal court has any business getting involved in Britney’s mental affairs.

The court said it sure seems the Feds have no jurisdiction to interfere, and unless Eardley can convince the judge to the contrary, the case will go back to State court on Feb 29.

[From TMZ]

Well, since Britney is not able to hire her own counsel under the rules of the conservatorship, I’d say this Federal Judge is being more than reasonable to even read the filing and give Eardley an opportunity to explain his involvement. It’s a good thing I’m not a court judge– I’d be throwing people out on their asses all day long.

In other conservatorship news, camp Jamie Spears believes that Sam Lutfi, rather than Britney, is behind this whole federal case farce. Funny how Lutfi can contact a lawyer, but somehow can’t seem to answer his door to receive that pesky restraining order.

Lawyers for Britney Spears’ conservatorship filed papers yesterday in federal court, asking the court to reject the bid to remove the case from the California Court system.

In the papers, the lawyers claim Britney was in no position to even hire a lawyer for the federal case because she’s not allowed to under the conservatorship order. Attorney Jon Eardley, who filed the federal case, claims Britney hired him.

Lawyers for the conservator also want Eardley to identify everyone with whom he worked to get the federal case filed. It’s real clear the conservators believe Sam Lutfi is behind it, and he’s been restrained from having any contact with Brit.

The conservators’ lawyers also want Eardley to pay attorney’s fees, claiming the federal file is kinda frivolous.

[From TMZ]

Every time there’s another court hearing on Britney’s behalf, I am so glad I don’t live in the state of California. I can’t even imagine how many taxpayer dollars have already been spent on EMT vehicles, ambulances, police escorts and the like. Hopefully this will stay out of federal court as well. Those federal court judges have way more important issues to deal with than stupid Sam Lutfi and his desperate attempt to weasel his way back into Britney’s life.

Header image is of Britney and Sam in December of last year.

It’s truly amazing that Sam Lutfi still has not been served with his restraining order mandating that he stay away from Britney Spears. It was approved two weeks ago, but Sam has managed to stay below the radar, and technically the restraining order isn’t in effect until he’s served. I would imagine that Britney’s parents have hired some pretty good people to get to him, so he must literally not be leaving his house. Britney must be the only thing in his life, if she’s worth all this hassle. And things just keep getting worse for the Svengali: the LAPD’s Major Crimes Division is investigating Lutfi for his admission that he continually drugged Britney.

TMZ is reporting that Lutfi is being investigated by the Major Crimes Division of the LAPD. Brit’s conservators have complained that Sam drugged her as a way of keeping her under his control. Lutfi, of course, could not be reached for comment, however his spokesperson Michael Sands says that he is aware of the investigation.

Britney’s mom, Lynn Spears, gave a signed declaration to the court earlier this month, revealing that the night she arrived at Britney’s house for an intervention, Sam openly detailed to her his method of keeping Britney drugged up. “Sam told Jackie and me that he grinds up Britney’s pills, which were on the counter and included Risperdol and Seroquel. He told us that he puts them in her food and that was the reason she had been quiet for the last three days. He told us that the doctor who is treating her is trying to get her into a sleep induced coma so that they could then give her drugs to ‘heal her brain.’”

Of the investigation, a court insider confirms to OK!–”Yes. He was practicing medicine without a license when he was grinding up a cocktail of prescription pills and putting it in her food. There’s no doubt about that being a felony among other charges.”

[From OK]

Risperdal and Seroquel are antipsychotic drugs that are used in high doses to treat schitophrenia, in lower doses to treat bipolar disorder, and in very small doses to treat insomnia. Seroquel is also used to treat suicidal patients directly after a suicide attempt or if a patient is thought to be seriously contemplating suicide. They both have highly sedating properties on their own – combined they would create quite the zombie. They also have a long list of bizarre (and not uncommon) side effects that could explain some of Britney’s unusual behaviors. She definitely should never have been driving while on both of them. It sounds like Sam wasn’t so much “treating” Britney as he was sedating her.

Sam is also supposedly helping Britney “fight back” against her parents – or at least that’s how E! is putting it. He filed a petition to get Britney’s case moved to federal court, and also stated that she’s being kept from freely associating with her friends, handling her money, driving her car, etc. All those things are true – they’re pretty much the whole point of the conservatorship.

“Sam is at war with Jamie. This is his first strike,” a Spears insider said Friday, explaining that Lutfi feels Britney’s rights were violated because court-appointed attorneys did not investigate the claims her family was making about her condition. Lutfi’s new publicist, Michael Sands, who insists that the case has been transferred, filed the petition this week on behalf of New York attorney Jon Eardley, who is listed in the paperwork as Britney’s counsel.

“Ms. Spears has been denied the right to associate freely with friends. She has been denied the right to make or receive telephone calls. She has been denied the right to operate a motor vehicle…She has been denied the right to receive and send mail,” the petition states. “Additionally she has been denied the right to her finances. She is not allowed to access her money or credit cards. Britney has expressed that she doesn’t want to be under the lock and control of her family,” Sands said Friday. “She wants nothing to do with her father.”

[From E! News]

Michael Sands also insists that Britney’s case has already been transferred to federal court, even though all court sources say that’s not the case. Sam clearly doesn’t like that Britney’s parents are taking charge of her life. It has nothing to do with Britney not being able to freely do what she wishes, it has to do with someone besides Sam being in control of her. Britney’s freedom is the last thing on his mind. Hopefully someone will catch him soon and serve him with the restraining order… and maybe a nice little arrest warrant too.

It’s hard to follow what’s going on with Britney lately, and part of me really doesn’t want to bother, but the main thing is that she was photographed crying and sitting on the curb after her friend Sam Lufti was seen publicly berating her, presumably over her relationship with Adnan. She called Adnan and left a message asking him to come by and help her out, but he could not reach her, presumably because Lufti had turned off her handful of phones. Then Adnan tried to get into Britney’s estate, but the security guard wouldn’t let him in on Lufti’s orders. Cops were called because some of the photographers were rushing the gates. Britney eventually hung out with another photographer instead, and both her parents came over to help her out.

Here’s a good breakdown of what happened, thanks to jughood on ONTD:

-Brit and her manager Sam had a huge fight in a car outside her gated community.
-Brit got out the car, crying, and pleads with the photogs to leave her along. Video can be found on TMZ and x17’s websites. It’s very upsetting footage.
-Flipie, the photog, picks up Brit and drives her to her home, then leaves. Brit calls Adnan saying “Baby, can you come get me?”
-Police show up after photogs try to enter the gated community, and leave a short time later.
-Most surprising news, BRITNEY’S PARENTS SHOW UP. “The scene inside Britney’s home right now is not pretty. Apparently Britney is very emotional and cannot stop crying. Both of her parents — mom Lynne and father Jamie — are with her now.” It was reported earlier today that she had begun communicating with them a little bit.
-Adnan shows up, but gets denied access to her gated community.
-Brit heads off towards Beverly Hills with photog Filipe, goes to Ralph’s grocery store, then meets up with Adnan, and speeds down the freeway….

Updates: Sam Lutfi, Britney’s manager, started an argument with her and the two ended up in a screaming fight. Sam continued to verbally abuse Britney as she sat barefoot on the curb at her Summit home crying holding her dog London.

Britney called Adnan for help and he heard the distress in her voice and drove to the Summit immediately. While outside the gates he was denied access as Sam Lutfi had informed the guards that he was not allowed entry. When Adnan then tried to call Britney it seems that Sam had turned all of her cell phones off…

When Jamie Spears turned up, the guards would not let him in, as Sam Lutfi would not let anyone get near Britney’s house. It was only after photographers standing outside explained the situation and who he was that Jamie was allowed access to The Summit home. He looked extremely distressed.

More details about what went down tonight: Sam screamed “Go fuck your Paparazzi boyfriend!” before speeding off. A teary eyed Spears sat on the curb holding her Yorkshire terrier ‘London’ and sporting what looked like a red mark on her face. Minutes after, Spears had driven down to her house, paparazzo boyfriend Adnan turned up at the gates of The Summit only to be denied access. The security at the Summit have been ordered by Sam not to let Ghalib in through the gates. Hoards of police arrived, and helicopters circled overhead…

Finalpixx, Adnan’s photog company, just posted “Britney is spending her evening in the company of her parents and Adnan.”

[From ONTD]

The news recently came out that Britney’s hanger-on Sam has three restraining orders against him and a long history of making threats of violence against people. One of his ex friends said that Lufti manipulated him emotionally and made threats against his family. It’s interesting that Sam’s relationship with Britney came to a head right after his was published:

There are at least two other outstanding restraining orders against Lutfi. Documents for both cases demonstrate his violent temper. This third case, however, raises deeper and more chilling questions about Lutfi’s character, and about his relationship with Britney….

Haines says their relationship was not romantic or sexual but that Lutfi was more jealous than a lover. He could be supportive one day and vicious the next, leaving voicemails tracing extremes from “You’re a worthless motherfucker” to “I love you, man. I love you to death.” He says that although Lutfi also made some feckless gestures toward an old-fashioned con job—Haines claims Lutfi borrowed about $18,000 that he did not pay back, though Lutfi’s mother finally settled much of the debt—Lutfi reserved most of his energy for emotional blackmail and extortion. “Everybody hates you,” he wrote to Haines, suggesting that Haines should just kill himself: “Seriously, sleeping pills, LOTS of them … ” (Lutfi declined to comment for this story.)

When Haines finally cut the cord, Lutfi humiliated him. He ­e-mailed naked photographs of Haines to his family, friends, colleagues and employer. Then he texted and called incessantly, telling Haines he hoped his sister would be “raped to death,” according to the restraining order. In an e-mail about Haines’s mother (“that Mormon bitch”), Lufti wrote, “I hope Satan devours her flesh and bones,” and said he looked forward to the day when he would “piss on [her] burial.”

[From Blender.com]

TMZ has video of Britney walking around aimlessly and crying as photographers shout questions at her, and it’s disturbing. She looks like she has a welt on the left side of her face but that could be due to crying as it doesn’t appear in other photos later that night.

ONTD has text messages that Lufti supposedly sent Adnan telling him to stay away from her, and given his history you would assume that he’s being controlling, not helpful. US Weekly reports that the fight with Sam was over the fact that he wanted her to see a psychologist and that he was telling her to talk to her mother. That all sounds supportive, but who knows if it went down that way.

One more thing happened last night - it looks like Britney and Adnan had a flat tire after they were finally reunited, as WENN has photos of it and it seems to have taken place later that night, but I could be mistaken. Do you want to start ignoring Britney again until her next major incident? I’m sorry to phrase it like it’s inevitable, and with Britney it’s expected. It’s also hard to tell what warrants reporting as she seems to top herself every day. Maybe she’ll accept her family’s help after this.

Did anyone ever figure out exactly what so called Britney Spears’ “cousin” Alli Sims real relationship to Brit is? There were a lot of accusations that they weren’t really related, and the press has stopped mentioning any familial relationship when discussing Sims. Alli - who hasn’t been seen in a while – says her relationship with Brit is great, and Britney’s doing just fine.

“She does seem happy,” Sims told PEOPLE at Saturday’s Hugo Boss/Glamour Studio Glam suite, of Spears, 26. “I’m sure obviously she’s going through some things, and a lot, right now. That definitely gets to you. I’m not saying that everything is fine,” Sims, 26, says. “Obviously, she’s worried about stuff, like we all are. She’s hanging in there. I’m not worried. She’ll get back. She’ll be fine.”

[From People]

Assuming Britney Spears will be fine is like assuming a St. Bernard is going to come flying through your window. It’s not 100% completely out of the realm of possibility, but the odds of it happening anytime soon are pretty slim. The St. Bernard has to WANT to fly through your window. Everyone else hoping it’ll just magically happen won’t increase the likelihood.

Sims says she and Spears are still really close and absolutely nothing is wrong with their relationship. She even claims she and Brit have never had so much as a tiny fight. Yet she slams Brit’s creepy-ass boyfriend Adnan Ghalib. Would you really do that to someone you were on good terms with?

“He’s been around, what, three weeks?” Sims tells PEOPLE. “I heard about it just from friends who watched it. I don’t really see the point of that. … I only know him from him following us around for eight months. I don’t personally know him. But I don’t like that vibe.”

[From People]

This morning Barbara Walters told “The View” audience that she’d received a call from Sam Lufti, who’s now calling himself Britney’s manager. Lufti told Walters that Britney is in “treatment” for her mental health issues. I was hoping “in” was the operative word there – meaning she had gone to some kind if of facility. But it’s more that she’s seeing a psychiatrist. Which is still great, I was just hoping she was going whole hog.

Barbara Walters received a call from Britney Spears’s manager and “very good friend” Sam Lutfi, the TV host told her cohorts on Monday’s The View – reporting that Lutfi said the pop star was seeking help for what Walters termed “mental issues which are treatable.”

“She has been to a psychiatrist,” Walters, 78, said, recounting Lutfi’s explanation over the phone. “She, I assume, is starting some kind of treatment.” Walters also reported that Spears was having trouble sleeping and was suffering from “mood swings,” but that she was back in touch with her mother, Lynne Spears. When those at the table challenged the veracity of Lutfi’s report, Walters’s response was, “I don’t know if anybody is telling the truth or not telling the truth.” But she noted, “He has been with her constantly. He seems to be enormously supportive.”

[From People]

Hey, Britney Spears getting some sort of treatment is better than nothing. And with her level of crazy, you probably have to take baby steps. Actually that’s not true, with her level of crazy you should be institutionalized. But because Brit’s got money and power, she seems to be able to do whatever she wants. And considering how reticent she’s been to make any positive changes in her life, baby steps towards psychiatric care is a really big deal. Though to be honest, I’m hoping someone gets her into a straight jacket by the end of the week.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Britney Spears at a gas station buying soda after she went to Petco pet store to buy a bird and birdcage with Sam Lutfi. January 20th. Images thanks to WENN.