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Open Season on Spears Custody Docs

Tue., Sep. 18, 2007 2:20 PM PDT by Gina Serpe

With all the focus Monday on Britney Spears' lawyer and manager jumping ship, as well as the appearance of a certain unwelcome witness, an actual court ruling almost escaped unnoticed.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon issued a written ruling late Monday to unseal certain documents pertaining to Spears and Kevin Federline's never-ending custody dispute.

Gordon said the intense public interest in the case trumps the ex-couple's privacy concerns, and he approved the partial release of some, but not all, paperwork. Typically all cases in family court are sealed when minor children are involved.

"In this matter, the children have not been afforded the choice of litigating this matter in public and must suffer the 'good and bad' as a result of the decisions of those who care for them," Gordon wrote. (View the full ruling.)

"The evidence presented in this case clearly demonstrates a tremendous and ongoing media interest."

To say the least.

Gordon suggested that the release of some documents would actually be in the best interest of Spears and Federline's two sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

To make sure the release will not "pose an immediate threat to the safety of the minor children," Gordon will redact anything that includes private addresses, visitation schedules, information on physical and mental health of the parties involved, Social Security numbers, travel itineraries, vehicle license plate numbers and the names of school and daycare facilities.

The ruling comes after People magazine and NBC's Los Angeles affiliate, KNBC-4, argued that the release of basic information about the case would not cause harm to the Feder-tots.

There was no immediate word on when the documents would be made available.

As for the Federline-Spears tug-o-war over the kids, sources familiar with the case tell E! News that despite some published reports, Gordon has not given Federline temporary custody.

Indeed, the court public information officer confirms that no ruling has been made. Federline went to court last month to ask for primary custody of the children and an increased monthly support checks.

While Spears still shares custody, her case took a serious blow, at least in the court of public opinion, with several dramatic developments Monday:

The long-threatened secret witness in the custody case was revealed to be Tony Barretto, Spears' post-rehab bodyguard, who claimed the singer engaged in "drug use, nudity and safety issues" while in the presence of her children. His attorney, Gloria Allred, said Spears' supposedly erratic behavior made him "very concerned" for the boys, though his declaration went "unrefuted and unchallenged" as he did not end up taking the stand.
Laura Wasser, Spears' long-suffering lawyer, confirmed she would be stepping down amid reports she clashed with Spears over legal strategy. Powerhouse legal eagles Melvin Goldsman and Marci Levine, who won custody for David Hasselhoff earlier this summer, will take over.
Finally, Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm, Spears' manager of just one month, announced he was dumping her as a client. The decision came one week after her VMA implosion and two months before the release of her would-be comeback album. "We believe Britney is enormously talented, and has made a terrific record," the company said. "But current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job. We wish Britney the best."