Britney's Hit-and-Split Case Dead-Ends

That's one headline-grabbing, bad-driving charge down, one to go for Britney Spears.

A misdemeanor count of hit-and-run was tossed Thursday, exactly one week after the 25-year-old beleaguered pop reached a deal with the owner whose car Spears dinged up in a Studio City parking lot.

The charge, one of two misdemeanors Spears faced from the Aug. 6 incident, was dismissed after Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Susan Speer was informed of the cash settlement by Spears attorney Michael Flanagan. Spears paid roughly $1,000 to cover the fender-bender.

She faced one count each of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license stemming from the crash.

Speer declined to drop the latter charge, however, and Flanagan entered a not guilty plea on Spears' behalf. Because it is a misdemeanor case, the "Gimme More" purveyor's presence was not required in the Van Nuys courthouse.  (View the minute order from Thursday's arraignment.)

Spears has since obtained a license—on the order of the commissioner overseeing her ongoing custody case—and Flanagan and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office are attempting to work out a plea agreement.

Flanagan says prosecutors want to place Spears on a year's probation for her driving indiscretion. Should she receive any sort of citation during that time, be it speeding, driving with her kids on her lap or running over paparazzi limbs, it would constitute probation violation and Spears could receive jail time.

Flanagan, however, is less than keen on the offer.

"She got a license, she has insurance, has always had insurance," Flanagan said outside the courtroom. "The question is: Is probation really necessary?"

Owens ordered Flanagan back in court on Nov. 26. That's the same day Spears is due to appear in her custody case for a progress hearing on her parenting classes.

Spears' bang-up job came as she attempted to maneuver her black Mercedes-Benz out of the parking lot of a Studio City vitamin store. With requisite paparazzi in tow, Spears dented a parked black Benz, got out to survey the damage and ultimately took off, leaving nary a note. But there was plenty of photographic evidence that she was to blame for the smash.

The owner of the car, Kim Robard-Rifkin, filed a police report against Spears a few days after the incident.

Last Monday, the beleaguered pop star was formally booked on both charges at the Van Nuys police station, getting photographed and fingerprinted, though not cuffed, before getting released 45 minutes later.

Spears' arraignment was originally scheduled to take place on Oct. 10, but Flanagan had the hearing postponed so he could broker a settlement with Robard-Rifkin to bolster his case for getting the charges dropped.

Meanwhile, Spears still has a fair share of billable hours in her never-ending custody case with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

The ex-fun couple made good on a court order Wednesday, appearing together at a Parenting Without Conflict course at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Both were ordered by Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon to attend the program. The class lasts six sessions and is designed to teach cooperative parenting and communication skills to its participants. Among the highlights: learning to make "polite requests."

Federline, 29, and Spears are required to have attended three sessions by Friday, when they are due back in court for a progress review. That means the dynamic duo will no doubt be back at the hotel for another session later Thursday.

In addition to the joint parenting counseling, Spears has also been ordered to undergo three individual sessions to "address parenting issues."

Friday's court hearing will also feature the official results of a parenting coach's evaluation of Spears' mothering abilities. The report isn't expected to be pretty, with Spears and the coach having clashed during their meetings.

Spears is attempting to gain more custody of her sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James.