NEWSBrit's Conservators Fire Back at Civil Rights Challenge
Feb. 25 2008, Published 1:58 p.m. ET
Attorneys for conservators filed another round of papers in federal court on Monday, urging a judge to quickly end a civil rights challenge to Jamie's control of his daughter's $100 million dollar estate and keep the co-conservatorship in place.
Attorney Jon Eardley claims to represent the troubled pop star. In legal documents he said that Britney hired him on Feb. 12, six days after her conservatorship was put in place. He claims he has "learned that there have been significant verbal attacks" made against Britney by her father, , and is concerned for her "emotional and physical safety."
Eardley goes on to say that during one phone call with Britney, someone snatched the phone out of her hands and disconnected the line a day later. He insists that Britney is unhappy with her father as her conservator and he claims that the case in state court violates her constitutional rights.
But in a motion filed on Monday, lawyers for Britney's conservatorship said that Eardley has failed to prove that he even qualifies as Britney's attorney (under Brit's conservatorship, she no longer has the authority to choose her own counsel) nor has he been able to address the most fundemental legal issues in the case.
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U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez had asked Eardley to file papers by Feb. 22, explaining the civil rights challenge. However, Eardley told the judge he needed more time to formally file.
The conservatorship motion asks that the case be immediately returned to Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz, and that Eardley be forced to reimburse $43,000 in attorney fees.
