Court maintains ruling against Spears
Britney Spears went to a courthouse Monday but abruptly left amid a swarm of paparazzi without attending a hearing in her child-custody battle with her ex-husband, missing a chance to try to persuade a commissioner to restore her visitation rights to her two little boys.
Instead, the Superior Court commissioner heard a day of closed-door testimony from Kevin Federline and witnesses to a bizarre situation this month in which police took the pop singer to a hospital after a standoff in her home when she refused to return the boys to Federline's bodyguard after a visit.
Commissioner Scott Gordon then ruled that a January 4 emergency order suspending her visitation rights and giving custody to Federline would remain in effect. He scheduled another hearing for February 19.
''The word victory is not something Mr Federline or his counsel would ascribe to this. There is no joy. This is a grave situation for all,'' Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said outside the courthouse.
Although Federline thought the ruling was correct, Kaplan said, ''His goal, his hope for the future is that at some point he will be able to parent the children with the participation of their mother.''
Kaplan would not answer questions.
