The Britney spears ‘driving without a license ‘case made news for various reasons. Britney being at the center of the controversy was sure to bring it to the forefront. The jury too was undecided over the issue. It took three days of intense deliberations by the jury to come out with an acquittal. The jury was not convinced that Britney Spears was guilty of driving without a license in a fender bender the previous year. Ten members of the jury wanted to acquit her and two voted for her conviction.
The prosecutor dropped the case not because he felt that Spears was not guilty but because the jury was so obviously against conviction The prosecutor was peeved and says that this often the case when the celebrities are involved. It is very difficult to get a conviction. The celebrity status does affect the judgment. In any case it was only a case of driving without a valid license, which normally warrants a fine and not a misdemeanor. “It’s a natural reaction to feel it’s a waste of time,” said foreman Gary Moy, 45.
What was unusual about the case was not the lofty principles and the rock bottom stakes but the fact that Britney Spears who was at the center of the controversy was conspicuous by her absence.
Her lawyer said that she did not come to the superior court in van Nuys during the trial, as she was “unable to participate meaningfully in the matter” Her father testified on her behalf but did not agree that she needed to take the stand.
“Britney doesn’t like court,” the lawyer, Michael Flanagan, shrugged.