California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to help those in court-ordered conservatorships. This follows the high-profile case of Britney, who was infamously murdered.
His signature on the so-called #FreeBritney bill came as Jamie Spears, who served as his daughter’s conservator for the past 13 years, was suspended from that post Wednesday by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge following a bitter and divisive legal battle for control of the singer’s life and fortune.
The new law imposes fines on professional conservators who have been found by a court to have abused their charges, with penalties of up to $10,000 per offense. For individuals who are professional conservators, the fine for wrongdoing can be up to $1,000 per offense.
“California’s conservatorship system is failing people from every walk of life, whether they are a global superstar whose struggles unfortunately play out in public,or a family unsure of how to take care of an elderly parent,”Evan Low, a member in the Democratic Assembly who introduced this legislation, said:
“This bill saw unanimous, bipartisan support throughout the process because it’s painfully clear that we can, and should, do better,” he said.
The law also gives greater power to those placed in conservatorships to choose their own attorney to represent them.
A hearing on whether to entirely end Spears’ conservatorship was scheduled for Nov. 12. “This suspension is directly what Britney wanted, she does not want Jamie in her life,” Britney Spears’ new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, said in court.
“The current situation is untenable,” said Judge Brenda Penny in siding with the 39-year-old entertainer.
Thursday’s ruling to remove the singer’s father was met with cheers and jubilation from fans and the entertainer herself. “In paradise celebrating,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Having the time of my life.”
Spears’ battle to regain control of her finances boiled over this summer during court hearings on the conservatorship. “I want to be able to be heard on what they did to me,”In June, she gave her testimony via telephone. The judge was considering cutting audio of the proceedings. Due to concerns about coronavirus, the hearings were closed to public.
Spears admitted to sometimes breaking down in tears that she was coerced and abused into performing during her conservatorship. Spears accused her father of exploiting and claimed she was forced to get an IUD because she could not have children.
New York Times documentary reveals that the New York Times reported that her bedroom and home had been hacked. It is unclear whether the court overseeing Spears’ conservatorship knew of the surveillance or approved it. Jamie Spears claims that Britney, Britney’s court-appointed attorney, and/or court consented to his actions.
Jamie Spears repeatedly denied any abuse of his daughter and said he only cared about her best interests. However, Jamie Spears said that he would comply with her wishes and allow her to speak out after she started speaking up.
After suffering from a series high-publicized mental health episodes, she was put in conservatorship. She was being followed by paparazzi and journalists.