Spears Granted Restraining Order

A judge ruled yesterday that Osama “Sam” Lutfi and attorney Jon Eardley are not allowed to contact, threaten or try to act on the singer or her sons’ behalf for the next three years.

Jamie Spears, who has a conservatorship over his daughter and can restrict her contact with outsiders and access to a cell phone, requested the restraining orders back in January. He thought Lutfi, Eardley and paparazzo Adnan Ghalib were conspiring to undermine the conservatorship.

How horrible would that be? Nooooo. Must continue to protect Britney from herself! The conservatorship must not be tampered with!

Don’t worry, last month the judge issued a restraining order against Ghalib. The paparazzo is due back in criminal court next month on felony charges that he tried to run over a man trying to deliver court papers about the restraining order case. Hmmm. Maybe that restraining was a good idea.

Ghalib never appeared in court or tried to contest the restraining order.

Lutfi and Eardley on the other hand have said they will appeal the ruling. Lawyers for the defendants say the hearing didn’t prove the duo caused Britney Spears to suffer substantial emotional distress.

The restraining order hearing involved testimony from Jamie Spears, the singer’s security detail and a hairdresser. The hairdresser said Britney Spears had said she was scared of Lutfi.

A lawyer for Lutfi says the hairdresser has it all wrong and that the singer was asking him for help.

“Never before in the history of the world has a restraining order been issued against someone who merely responded to cries for help,” Bryan Freedman said. He also said he believes the conservatorship is misusing a statute meant for elderly or severely disabled adults – and that it’s not appropriate for a pop star on an international concert tour.

A lawyer for Jamie Spears said Lutfi broke a promise not to contact the singer, an agreement that was made between the two men last summer.

Lutfi has retaliated by filing a defamation lawsuit against the singer and her parents.

And what did Jamie Spears have against Eardley? In March Eardley tried to challenge the legitimacy of the conservatorship in court papers. This violated an agreement made in January that the lawyer wouldn’t act on the singer’s behalf.

Spears is touring with the Pussycat Dolls with dates through the end of May.

What do you think? Does Britney’s father have her best interests at heart? Or should she have a restraining order against him?

Read the AP story here.