Spears case hinges on ‘domicile’
Is Britney Spears a Californian or a Louisianan?
Jurors confronted with that question at the pop star’s trial for driving without a license spent about two hours deliberating Friday. The panelists are expected to return Monday to resume their discussions.
If convicted of a misdemeanor, Spears, 26, faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The charge stems from an accident last year in which the performer struck a parked car.
The trial, which Spears chose not to attend, turns on whether jurors believe her legal “domicile” -- defined in the vehicle code as the place she “has manifested the intention of returning to after an absence” -- is the Golden State or the Bayou State.
At the time of the fender-bender, Spears did not have a California license. Her defense claims she fell into the exception for those whose “domicile” is another state. Her father testified she held a valid Louisiana license.
In his closing argument, Spears’ attorney said the singer remained in Los Angeles only because of a custody battle for her two young sons.
“She is a Louisiana girl, born there, lived there and is going back there as soon as things are straightened out here,” lawyer Michael Flanagan said.
Referring to paparazzi who pursue Spears, he added, “Do you blame the girl for wanting to go home?”
A prosecutor mocked what he called her “Louisiana state of mind,” noting that “every significant life event” for Spears -- her marriage, the birth of her children, her divorce -- occurred in Los Angeles. He presented a partly completed application for a California driver’s license Spears filled out four months before the accident.
“Judge her by her actions,” Deputy City Atty. Michael Amerian urged the panel.
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