The Britney Spears legal circus just keeps rolling on. Now a two-year-old incident has come back to haunt her.

The AP reports a paparazzi photographer who has worked for TMZ filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles today. Ricardo Mendoza alleges the singer committed assault and battery when she ran over his foot in a Beverly Hills parking garage in October 2007. A video of the incident can be viewed here. 

Britney was understandably upset at the time, because she had just found out she lost custody of her two sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline, so she probably should have let someone else drive.

But isn’t this just the sort of thing Big Daddy Spears and his mighty Conservatorship are paid to take care of? Why haven’t they already thrown some of Brit’s money at this guy to make it all go away? Does Britney really need to have the mistakes she made during her darkest days dragged out again?

Britney Spears’ former boyfriend Adnan Ghalib has finally spoken out about the legal complaint that has him facing three felony charges.

According to RadarOnline, Ghalib filed papers last night in an L.A. court in which he denied “each and every allegation” that had been made against him by process server Ram Moskowitz. The court papers are available here. In February, Moskowitz was attempting to serve the former paparazzo with a restraining order seeking to keep him away from Britney Spears and her family members, when the process server alleges that he was hit by Ghalib’s car. 

While it certainly seems like a positive step for Ghalib to answer the complaint against him, why did he take so long? Jamie Spears and his conservatorship cronies have been smearing Adnan’s name for months now—why hasn’t he spoken out before? It’s not just his good  name that’s at stake here—it’s his freedom.

While Britney Spears has been busy touring, working her cute little butt off to make money, her daddy Jamie Spears has been busy spending it on lawyers, fighting anyone who threatens his stranglehold over his daughter’s life. Those pesky legal bills will get even higher now, since one of his targets is fighting back.

RadarOnline reports attorney Jon Eardley has filed papers in an L.A. court appealing the three-year restraining order served against him, and also objecting to being forced to pay the legal costs of obtaining the order. Eardley, Brit’s former manager Sam Lutfi, and her ex BF Adnan Ghalib were all slapped with three-year restraining orders keeping them away from the singer and her family. The three were also ordered to pay court costs the Spears team incurred obtaining the orders. 

Eardley objects to being lumped together with Brit’s former manager Sam Lutfi, stating, “The court will recall that the bulk of the witnesses were called with respect to Lutfi. The investigation substantially focused on Mr. Lutfi.”

A hearing is scheduled for May 29. Will Eardley have the legal savvy to stand up to the Spears conservatorship? 

Former Britney Spears manager Sam Lutfi has already been handed a three-year restraining order—now he may get stuck with the bill for it.

According to People, the legal team representing Spears’ conservatorship wants shady Sam to pay $123,142 for their fees in obtaining the restraining order. The legal eagles also are looking for $129,922 from attorney Jon Eardley and $72,292 from Britney’s ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, both of whom are also under restraining orders.

It looks like challenging Papa Spears’ authority gets more expensive all the time.

Former Britney Spears manager Sam Lutfi will get his day in court—but not until next year.

AFP reports Lutfi has been given a March 8, 2010 trial date in his suit against the Spears family, which alleges defamation, assault and breach of contract. Lutfi charges Britney’s parents Jamie and Lynne Spears “began a campaign of slander, libel and defamation aimed at discrediting, destroying and physically and emotionally intimidating Lutfi in order to drive him out of Britney’s life.”

The Spears family may file a countersuit. They have already obtained a permanent restraining order which prohibits Lutfi from coming within 100 yards of the pop star, her kids or her parents.

Britney Spears’ former boyfriend Adnan Ghalib was in a Van Nuys court this morning, and it looks like his legal problems aren’t going away anytime soon.

TMZ reports a judge ruled there is enough evidence to try Ghalib for felony assault with a deadly weapon, felony battery and felony hit-and-run, all charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly hit a process server with his car. A temporary restraining order was granted on behalf of alleged victim Ram Maskowtiz against Ghalib. The judge refused to add Britney Spears, her two sons and her father Jamie, to the order because a permanent restraining order already obtained by her conservatorship is in place until 2012.

Ghalib will be back in court May 18 for a preliminary hearing which will set a trial date. His attorney claims photos from a security camera of the alleged crime scene will vindicate his client.

It wasn’t hard to see this one coming. Britney Spears can expect a big bill from her legal team again this month.

TMZ reports that Brit’s former manager Sam Lutfi has filed an appeal against the permanent restraining order granted earlier this week. Requested by Britney’s father Jamie Spears and the conservatorship that governs the singer’s affairs, the order prevents Lutfi from making any contact with his former client or her two children for three years.

So why is Sam protesting this now, when he couldn’t be bothered to show up in court to defend himself during the hearing?

UPDATE: 
Lutfi’s lawyer Bryan Freedman told TMZ, “Never before in the history of the world has a restraining order been granted as a result of someone answering someone else’s cries for help. The evidence showed it was Britney Spears reaching out to Mr. Lutfi and all he did was help her get a lawyer.”

Britney Spears’ former manager won’t be calling to discuss business anytime soon—like for the next three years.

TMZ reports the conservatorship that runs Britney’s life has been granted a permanent restraining order against Sam Lutfi and attorney Jon Eardley. The orders are in place until April 28, 2012, and prohibit the two men from coming within 100 yards of Britney or her sons and include her home and any workplace, plus the home of her ex Kevin Federline.

So why weren’t Lutfi and Eardley in court today to plead their cases? Did someone scare them off?

A decision is expected shortly in the hearing that could grant Jamie Spears’ camp a permanent restraining order against two men whom he accuses of interfering with his conservatorship of his daughter, pop star Britney Spears.

TMZ reports final arguments have been heard in the case this morning. A lawyer for the Spears camp called former Britney manager Sam Lutfi and attorney Jon Eardley “cowards” for their failure to be present for cross-examination.

Britney Spears may be making a much-touted comeback, but a judge says she’s not fit to testify in court.

E! reports Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Akiva Bobb stated, “There was a finding of a judge of the Superior Court that she lacks the capacity to testify.” This ruling came following closing arguments Tuesday in the latest installment of Jamie Spears’ quest to get permanent restraining orders against Britney’s former manager Sam Lufti and attorney Jon Eardley, both of whom are called “predators” by lawyers for Mr. Spears and the conservatorship that runs the singer’s life.

The temporary restraining orders will be continued until April 28, when rebuttal arguments will be heard. I hope we get to see what was in those arguments that made the judge decide Britney “lacks the capacity to testify.”

A hearing this afternoon will determine whether Sam Lufti will be able to contact ex-client Britney Spears anytime in the near future.

RadarOnline reports a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court will hear testimony later today concerning whether the restraining order against Lutfi and attorney Jon Eardley will be made permanent. Spears’ father Jamie had requested the order to prevent the pair from interfering in his daughter’s conservatorship.

Jamie Spears previously succeeded in getting the restraining order against Britney’s former boyfriend Adnan Ghalib extended until 2012.

How do stars get to their own concerts on time? Leave early like the rest of us? Certainly not!

TMZ reports Britney Spears traveled to her downtown L.A. concert last night in style—in a  motorcade with a police escort. Brit sprang for the CHP motorcycle cops clearing the way for her 28-mile trip from her Casababasas spread to the Staples Center.

Was this her idea it did it come from the conservatorship? We know how they love to spend Britney’s money!

Britney Spears may not be well enough to handle her own affairs, but apparently, she’s well enough to stay out on the road, including Europe and Australia, as long as she’s making money.

RadarOnline reports Britney’s conservators met with Commissioner Reva Goetz in an L.A. courtroom today. Goetz gave permission for Britney to continue touring but did not render a definitive ruling.

When will we get a ruling on whether she’s competent enough to speak for herself in court?

It seems like every week, someone is in court arguing over the fate and fortune of Britney Spears, but the pop star herself has been absent from the proceedings. That could change very soon.

TMZ reports attorney Jon Eardley has filed papers demanding that Britney make a personal appearance in an L.A courtroom to testify in his trial for harassing her and her family. Eardley makes the point that Brit will be in L.A. appearing at the Staples Center on April 16 and 17, and if she’s well enough to perform in front of thousands of people, she’s well enough to testify.

A judge gets to decide if Britney’s fit to testify and if she should. You can bet Daddy Jamie Spears and the legal team behind the conservatorship will be willing to do most anything to keep Britney off the stand. This could be very interesting, since there are certainly a lot of questions we’d like to hear her answer.

For the first time since her surprise testimony at the hearing in which Britney Spears’ conservators made their case for extending the restraining order against her brother Sam, Christine Lufti has spoken out.

RadarOnline has a video of Ms. Lufti explaining how Britney allegedly called her in Dec. of last year, complaining of being held a virtual prisoner by her dad Jamie and requesting Sam’s help in getting a new lawyer. Ms. Lufti recounts her meeting with Britney at the Peninsula Hotel, and how she slipped a pre-paid cell phone to the pop star.

Interesting stuff, but do remember two words—checkbook journalism.

The conservatorship that runs Britney Spears’ life was back in court today, looking to milk their little cash cow for more money.

TMZ reports that, in what has become a weekly habit, Daddy Jamie Spears’ legal team was in a courtroom today, seeking to expand the singer’s lucrative “Circus” tour to include dates in Australia and parts of Europe.

As usual, nothing got resolved, so they go back to court April 14. Wonder if anyone has bothered to ask Britney whether she wants to extend the tour?

Adnan Ghalib may be able to keep his freedom, but he had to give up his firearm.

TMZ reports that in February, Britney Spears’ former BF sold his Hi-Point C-9 to a licensed gun dealer, supposedly to satisfy the terms of the restraining order placed against him by the conservatorship running the pop star’s life. The restraining order has since been extended for three years.

Ghalib appeared in court today to get a continuance of the felony case against him, which alleges he  tried to run down a process server with his car. The court officer was attempting to serve the papers for the restraining order.

Adnan hasn’t been convicted of anything, and none of the charges pending against him involve use of a firearm. Can they really force a person to give up his guns just because another party files a restraining order against him?

Before Britney Spears began her “Circus” tour, there was a lot of speculation about whether the troubled singer would be able to make all the dates without suffering another breakdown.

Britney seems to be doing fine so far, but the conservatorship that runs her life isn’t taking any chances. TMZ reports that Andrew Wallet, attorney for her conservatorship, purchased a $1.5 million bond guaranteeing the singer would show up for all her gigs.

TMZ claims this was necessary because the conservatorship, which is helmed by Britney’s dad Jamie Spears, made numerous deals with vendors last year, and they expect Brit to deliver.

Maybe, maybe not, but the British tab The Sun seems to think so. They published a story today called “Britney’s desperate texts to ex.” I’m immediately wary of any story about a celeb that uses the word “desperate.” I just don’t believe rich, famous people are all that “desperate” for anything.

So this story claims Britney Spears is lonely and has been sending texts to former BF Adnan Ghalib, begging him to “rescue” her from Dad’s conservatorship, but he can’t reply because it would violate the restraining order against him which is in place until 2012. Here’s what they say:

“She keeps sneaking messages to Adnan begging him to help her win back her freedom. She says she is lonely and misses being able to date the men she chooses. She feels trapped. She has been begging him to meet her and help her come up with a plan to get out of her dad’s conservatorship. Some messages have got back to her via her hairdressers and style team – but Adnan cannot contact her otherwise he will face jail.”

Notice there’s no timeline here. We already know that in the past, Brit was caught sending text messages behind Daddy’s back—that’s one thing that led to the restraining order. So is this news or just a rehash of stuff that’s been printed already? I’m inclined to think the latter. I hope it’s not true because Adnan’s in enough trouble already and doesn’t need to add to his list of legal problems. I guess I’m not “desperate” enough to believe everything I read in the British tabloids.

We hope Britney Spears’ “Circus” tour brings in some big bucks because she’ll need them to pay her legal bills. The LA Times reports that during her first 11 months under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, a total of 17 lawyers have run up a legal bill of at least $2.7 million.

The most costly items included her divorce and custody proceedings with Kevin Federline ($460,000 in total fees and costs), a Florida civil suit brought by a former manager ($113,000) and her driving-without-a-license trial ($26,000). But the lawyers’ fees alone were over a million dollars.

As shocking as this sum sounds to most of us, retired probate judge Arnold Gold explained it’s not unusual for a celebrity like Spears. “The mere dollar amount doesn’t automatically mean it is inappropriate. It’s quite appropriate, particularly in the entertainment field, to incur and have to pay very, very, very sizable attorneys’ fees.”

Lawyer Geraldine Wyle justified the fees. “Since the initiation of the conservatorship, as a result of the concerted efforts of Mr. Spears as well as all the professionals involved, all aspects of Ms. Spears’ life have been stabilized and continue to improve.”  

Her career better continue to improve if her estate keeps running up bills like this.