October 09, 2008

Britney Spears Rejects Plea Deal, Faces Trial October 15 For Driving Without License

By Chris Harris (MTV.com)

Pop star Britney Spears will be heading to trial next week to face charges of misdemeanor driving without a license, her attorney J. Michael Flanagan told MTV News on Wednesday (October 8), just hours after he rejected a plea deal that would have placed Spears on a year's probation and required she pay a $150 fine.

According to Flanagan, he has advised his client, who did not appear in court on Wednesday, to go forward with the trial should the prosecution fail to offer a better deal. He said he'd consider an offer that would reduce the charge to a traffic infraction with a $10 fine. Otherwise, the case is scheduled to begin on October 15, and Flanagan said he'd appeal any conviction in the case.

The charge stems from a minor accident involving Spears last summer, during which the pop star struck a parked car and drove off, though paparazzi captured the incident on video. Initially, Spears was also slapped with a hit-and-run charge that was later dismissed after she paid to have the other vehicle repaired.

Flanagan said he doesn't think Spears deserves a conviction on her criminal record, especially not a misdemeanor charge.

The rejection comes less than 24 hours after an appeals court denied Flanagan's efforts to dismiss the misdemeanor charge altogether and have the criminal case put on hold. In court papers, Flanagan argued that his client, whose personal and business affairs are currently under the control of conservatorship, was "currently unable to participate meaningfully" in the trial.

Meanwhile, she has been able to participate meaningfully in the making of a video for her new single, "Womanizer."