Britney Spears approved to hire her own lawyer, judge rules

A Los Angeles judge has allowed Britney Spears to hire her own legal counsel in the fight to remove the conservatorship. Spears, 39, sobbed over the phone at the hearing Wednesday, accusing her father of abuse and saying she intends to press charges against him.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny also approved resignations from her court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, and the financial group Bessemer Trust that served as a co-conservator.  Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, will represent the pop star going forward. The changes follow a hearing last month where Spears demanded the judge end the court-ordered arrangement.