访谈录[Interview]2007-10-09:深度剖析布兰妮监护权之争

Jeffrey, what is the biggest factor the judges normally take into consideration in these child custody 1 battles.

The biggest factor by far is simply the best interests of the child. Is the child in danger with one parent or the other? Judge Scott Gordon, who was one of the O.J Simpson prosecutors 3, oddly enough. You know that the order has not been released because minors 4 are involved. But obviously he thought there was an immediate 5 issue with the safety of the children of Britney Spears. So he awarded them to Kevin Federline.

And he… Federline is gonna retain custody of the two sons court until further order of the court. What does that really mean I mean that, could there be a different ruling down the road?

Well it could be. I mean basically it means that Britney Spears will be allowed to reapply for custody if she gets her act together. But it’s important to remember this is really unusual what Gordon has done here. And you know the, judges don’t just sort of yank custody all the time. Obviously he’s very concerned about something that’s going on immediately right now. And ah…you know he’s not messing around because he feels like the safety of the children. This is alright stay.

And he ordered twice weekly drug test for her and ordered her to spend 8 hours every week working with a parenting coach. Is that unusual?

Well it’s not unusual when you have a parent who is proved to be a drug addict 6, and an unfit parent I mean this is how people are treated when they are a danger to their children. So, it’s unfortunately there are a lot of people who are a danger to their children. But only those kind of people are forced to endure this kind of really humiliating and onerous 7 requirements.

Does the law tend to favor mothers in a proceeding 8 like this?

Well the law has changed in recent years to be more equitable 9 but, I mean, the shift has been much more towards the children rather than the parents I mean that earlier if the parents were sort of almost presumed to be fit to take care of their children. But unfortunately as we know you know most of the violence that children suffer comes not from strangers but from their parents. So the law has responded to that and said look we are simply gonna take kids away from parents when we think there is a possibility that they are gonna be a danger to their children.

And can, can she can Britney Spears appeal this ruling?

She can but these are the, appeals courts rarely get involved in these sorts of controversies 10. Her best chance is simply to get her act together you know, pass her drug tests, participate in the parenting classes and go back to Judge Scott Gordon and say look I’ve cleaned up my act, let me have my children again. That’s her best chance not in appeals court.

And …I mean how does celebrity 11 factor into this? Does it I mean does it impact the court, does it impact the judge?

You know... It’s very hard to know what’s going on in Scott Gordon's head, I happened to know Scort Gorden. I got, I got to know him during the O.J Simpson case. He was the prosecutor 2 who’s most responsible for the domestic violence part in the case. So he’s someone who’s…who really knows a lot about you know dangers in the home. So you know I think Scott is a very level-headed guy. And he’s not gonna have his head swayed by the fact that Britney Spears is a celebrity. I think he just wants to make sure these kids are out of danger.