Britney Spears

The federal judge in the Britney Spears conservatorship case has issued an order extending the restraining order against Sam Lutfi.

The ultra-shady pal of Britney formally got served with the restraining order yesterday afternoon after weeks of deftly avoiding it.

According to the order, Sam Lutfi must stay at least 250 feet away from Britney - and also have zero phone contact with her - through March 17.

What's more, a judge ruled that Lutfi has been properly served with legal papers after the douchebag's rep had challenged the service of process.

A photo taken in January of Sam Lutfi and Britney Spears, who he used to drug, verbally abuse and otherwise manipulate. What are friends for, right?

The federal judge has already indicated the case is headed back to state court, rejecting the recent, bizarre legal challenge to the conservatorship.

Lutfi has other problems, too, namely the LAPD investigation by the Robbery Homicide Division of his allegedly drugging Britney Spears.

Sam Lutfi was formally served today with a temporary restraining order to keep him away from Britney Spears, People reports this afternoon.

The order was sought by the temporary co-conservators of Spears' $100 million estate - her father Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet.

A restraining order was obtained weeks ago, but Lutfi had managed to avoid getting formally served with it - which is required for it to take hold.

Until today, that is. Beeyotch.

Osama Lutfi had been accused by Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, of drugging and verbally abusing the struggling singer, trying to control her every move.

Britney Spears has been hospitalized twice already in 2008 and recently spent six days in the UCLA psychiatric ward.

Reports say Sam Lutfi was served at 11 a.m. PST as he left his apartment in West Los Angeles. Finally, they tracked him down. You got served, sucka!

The restraining order, which forbids Sam Lutfi from getting within 250 yards of Spears, her homes and her family's homes, alleges:

"Mr. Lutfi has drugged Britney Spears. He has cut Britney's home phone line and removed her cell phone chargers. He claims to control everything."

More details to come.

Jamie Spears apparently let Britney Spears out of her cage for a while yesterday, and released the holds on her credit cards as well.

The alleged singer was spotted spending some serious dough yesterday at Forever 21 at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles, California.

Britney Spears wore her signature accessories - yellow, form-fitting top, black pants, big shades and one huge bodyguard. Back away!!

No word on what Britney bought at Forever 21, but if she wants to feel 21, she might try hitting the gym sometime instead of the mall.

Sorry. Just saying. Britney circa 2002 was so friggin' hot! Any Britney Spears pictures from the past 3-4 years don't even compare.

Mess with Britney Spears and this dude will end you.

While the star gets treatment for bipolar disorder, her conservators - dad Jamie and lawyer Andrew Wallet - are keeping her on a tight leash.

They're trying to cut her off from the bad seeds like Sam Lutfi, who remains under investigation by the LAPD for drugging Britney.

Law enforcement sources report that the LAPD investigation into Sam Lutfi allegedly drugging Britney Spears is well underway.

According to TMZ, the case has been assigned to Robbery Homicide, primarily because of the very sensitive nature of the allegations and the intense media scrutiny surrounding everything connected to Britney Spears.

Investigators have interviewed several witnesses regarding the drugs in Britney Spears' system at the time she was most recently committed.

Sources close to the investigation say it was temporarily derailed because of the death of an LAPD SWAT officer, but it's now back on track.

BAD SEED: The investigation of Sam Lutfi will conclude in March.

Mother Lynne Spears alleges that before her daighter was hospitalized - the second time - her supposed friend and manager, Sam Lutfi, drugged Britney.

As conservator of Britney's estate, her father, Jamie Spears, has obtained a restraining order against Lutfi. This bars him from contacting her.

In a strange twist, a New York lawyer - claiming Britney herself hired him - has challenged the conservatorship in federal court, though a judge isn't buying it.

Lawyers for Britney Spears' conservatorship filed papers in federal court, asking the court to reject the bid to remove the case from the California Court system.

According to TMZ, lawyers claim Britney is in no position to hire a lawyer for the federal case because she's not allowed to, per the conservatorship.

Attorney Jon Eardley, who filed the papers in federal court in an attempt to get the conservatorship nixed, claims Britney hired him. It reeks of Sam Lutfi.

Lawyers for the conservators want Eardley to identify everyone with whom he worked to get the federal case filed. Like, say, Sam Lutfi, for instance!?

The Britney Spears legal drama gets weirder by the day.

Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, has control of her estate. As conservator, he can regulate her medical and financial decisions, even control who she sees.

The conservators also want Eardley to pay their legal fees, claiming the federal filing is frivolous, baseless and a waste of everyone's time.

In response, a federal judge issued a tentative ruling that the move to make a federal case out of Britney Spears' situation is ridiculous.

Judge Philip Gutierrez has set a deadline of February 29 for her so-called lawyer, Eardley, to explain why on Earth the federal court has any business at all getting involved in Britney Spears' mental affairs.

The court said it seems as if the Feds have no jurisdiction, and unless Jon Eardley can convince the judge otherwise, the case will go back to State court on February 29. We will keep you posted on the latest.

What will it take for Britney Spears to regain custody or at least some visitation rights with her two sons? That we can't say for sure at this time.

But the pop star's tentative reconciliation with her father, Jamie Spears, is a big step in the right direction, says Kevin Federline's lawyer.

Mark Vincent Kaplan was full of praise for Jamie Spears, who has emerged as a controversial, but positive force in Britney's life recently.

"Jamie Spears' presence is an extreme positive," Kaplan said, adding that Jamie's presence could make it possible "to develop a visitation plan that enables [Sean Preston and Jayden James] to have a mother in their lives."

While Britney's visitation with Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, was discussed at Tuesday's custody hearing, there were no official changes.

Spears has not seen her sons since the January 3 standoff with police at her home. K-Fed has full custody of the boys pending further notice.

Mark Vincent Kaplan represents Kevin Federline, but he - along with K-Fed and everyone else involved - has his eye on reuniting Britney with Jayden James.

Still, Kaplan said of the future point in which Britney can share the kids again, "[Jamie] brings that day closer. Absolutely."

Jamie Spears' role as conservator - overseeing Britney's medical treatment and estimated $100 million fortune - has attracted its share of criticism.

Britney Spears herself is seeking legal remedies to regain control, says attorney Jon Eardley, who believes Jamie's conservatorship is a "violation of [the singer's] civil rights" and has challenged it in federal court.

We speculate that Sam Lutfi - ostracized by the Spears clan after it was alleged that he drugged Britney - is behind Jon Eardley's filing.

Mark Vincent Kaplan, for his part, sees Jamie's control as a "huge step."

"From the ground up," Kaplan said. "[Jamie] is stabilizing the situation, removing people that may not have had Britney's best interests at heart."

Does that mean Britney Spears could see her kids soon?

"We all want this as soon as possible," said Kaplan. "That's Kevin's desire - to have his kids visiting their mother. That's everyone's goal."

The FedEx man has indicated that he wants Britney to regain at least some custody or visitation, even as she receives treatment for bipolar disorder.

Despite the hopes of Britney Spears, her family and even Kevin Federline, lawyers couldn't agree on terms of potential visitation for the pop star.

Therefore, her seeing Sean Preston and Jayden James remains off the table.

Ironic, as FedEx wants Brit to have at least some visitation and lawyers came to court today trying to accommodate this, but it was not to be.

Jamie Spears, Britney's father, wants to restore some normalcy to Britney's life and angled for visitation with the boys in a bad way. To no avail.

There were no changes in the custody order. Having gone nuts, Britney Spears has not seen Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, in a month and a half.

Also, Commissioner Scott J. Gordon made it clear - Brit's conservatorship being challenged in federal court has no bearing on the custody case.

Finally, the firm of Trope and Trope, which has long wanted out, is now officially out as Britney Spears' legal reps. Stacy Phillips is now her lawyer on the case.

The lawyers are reportedly still working - through lunch - to try to hammer out a new agreement and will all be back in court at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Kevin Federline would like Britney Spears to see their kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, even during the current conservatorship.

According to TMZ, the FedEx man has no problem allowing the kids to visit Britney at home, with one string attached - that her parents are present.

K-Fed isn't worried that anything bad would happen to Sean Preston and Jayden James, but does fear that Britney might drive with them. Too dangerous.

Jamie Spears' presence would help assuage those fears.

Sources also say K-Fed doesn't necessarily want custody 100 percent of the time, and would like Britney to share custody or at least have visitation.

Of course, if recent comments attributed to Jason Alexander are to be believed, Britney might not necessarily want custody back. So who knows.

There's also the matter of Britney's propensity for wearing no underwear. The flashing of the vadge may not be the best trait for a kid's role model.

In other news, there's talk of Britney Spears going to a private facility for treatment and K-Fed having no problem allowing the kids to visit her there.

Attorneys representing Britney are in court right now for the first custody hearing since the pop star's most recent hospitalization.

Brit's soon-to-be-gone attorney, Anne Kiley, asked Commissioner Scott Gordon to put a gag order on the lawyers and others connected with the custody battle, preventing them from speaking to the media about the case.

K-Fed's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, objected to the gag order, saying it's a violation of freedom of speech. The motion was denied.

Further developments to follow ...

After a stay in the UCLA psych ward and dialing down her wild lifestyle a bit with the help of her parents, Jamie and Lynne, and her brother, Bryan Spears, it seems that Britney Spears is feeling a bit better these days.

She's still not feelin' underwear, though.

The celebrity gossip media was delightfully treated to some vintage no-pants Britney Spears pictures as she ate out at Shu Sushi last night.

At least we think so. Are there panties here? You tell us.

Britney Spears: Reigning Hollywood Crotch Shot Queen (2006-present).

Why, Britney? Who the heck knows. Maybe the troubled star simply likes wearing no underwear because she's outgrown all of her underwear stock.

We're not trying to be critical about her weight - we aren't fans of anorexic waifs like Kate Bosworth - but it doesn't look like Britney's eating many salads lately.

Just saying.

Many, many people out there (Sam Lutfi, Alli Sims) who are all too eager to cash in on whatever relationship they have with Britney Spears.

There are but two men (at least only two we know of, Adnan Ghalib is an unlikely #3) who can claim to have married that ass, though.

Thus, when Jason Alexander speaks, we feel compelled to report it.

Alexander tells In Touch Weekly that Britney Spears has been calling him every day for a month, and that she never talks about Adnan Ghalib.

When it comes to Sean Preston and Jayden James, she does want to see the little guys, but doesn't want the responsibility of full-timecustody.

"She doesn't want the kids back," Britney's first husband of 55 hours says.

  On January 3, 2004, Jason Alexander and Britney Spears tied the knot. The next two days were great, but then they decided to have it annulled. Ah, Vegas.

"She wants to see [Jayden James and Sean Preston], but she doesn't want to be a full-time mom. Britney said it doesn't matter if she doesn't get them back full-time, and that she can always have other kids later on..."

Her treatment has a ways to go, according to Jason Alexander:

"She does want to get better. She does not sound as crazy right now as she did three weeks ago, but she's not right. She isn't well enough to know what she wants."

Jason says that "Her dad is back in her life, and that is awesome" and the Britney seems "very happy" that "her mom is there for her."

He claims that hes "trying to motivate her" to continue having her mom and dad, Lynne and Jamie Spears, be an active part of her life.

Jason Alexander adds that he doesn't think she should have full custody of Sean and Jayden "because she needs to focus on her."