Britney Spears was stripped of her fundamental constitutional rights for over a decade — not in secret, but in broad daylight, in a courtroom funded by taxpayers, with judges who were sworn to protect due process. Instead, they violated it.

We, the undersigned, believe that: Britney Spears was denied her right to Due Process and to choose her own legal counsel for over 13 years.

Judge Reva Goetz and Judge Brenda Penny, who presided over the case, failed in their duty to protect her rights and to question the validity and duration of the conservatorship.

These actions are not only unjust — they are a violation of constitutional protections, particularly the 14th Amendment and California’s own legal standards for conservatorships.

This isn’t just about Britney.

If a world-famous celebrity can be silenced, medicated, surveilled, and forced to work under court authority, then it can happen to anyone.

We call on the California Commission on Judicial Performance to:

• Investigate Judges Reva Goetz and Brenda Penny for judicial misconduct
• Hold accountable any judge who enabled the abuse of Britney’s rights through neglect or complicity
• Publicly disclose findings and sanctions, so the public can begin to trust the system again.

We also call on the California State Legislature to review the state’s conservatorship laws, to ensure no person is ever again placed in such a system without proper legal representation and ongoing oversight.

This petition supports the formal Judicial Misconduct Complaint already submitted to the CJP. It is time for accountability. We stand with Britney — and with every person whose rights have been denied behind closed doors.

JusticeForBritney #EndConservatorshipAbuse #JudicialAccountability #BritneySpears #FreeBritney

Judicial Misconduct Complaint Submission – Commission on Judicial Performance (California)

Judge(s) Involved:

Hon. Reva Goetz (Los Angeles Superior Court, Retired)
Hon. Brenda Penny (Los Angeles Superior Court)

 
Summary of Complaint:
This complaint concerns the violation of Britney Spears’ constitutional right to due process in the early stages of her conservatorship in 2008, which was overseen by Judge Reva Goetz and later maintained for over a decade under Judge Brenda Penny.

Most critically, Ms. Spears was denied the right to choose her own legal counsel—a direct violation of her rights under California Probate Code §1471 (later amended, but applicable in principle at the time) and her constitutional protections under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Without legal representation of her own choosing, she was placed under a conservatorship in a rushed ex parte hearing, without prior notice, without a thorough medical evaluation, and without her participation. The court appointed Samuel Ingham III as her counsel, despite evidence that she explicitly objected to the arrangement.

The denial of counsel formed the foundation of the conservatorship’s legality—and undermined the entire structure of its authority for the next 13+ years. The failure to ensure her due process rights from the start cannot be excused as procedural oversight. It was judicial misconduct with life-altering consequences.

 
Timeline of Violations:

January 3, 2008
Britney Spears was placed on a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold following a highly publicized child custody dispute. This was the beginning of state intervention into her personal life.

January 31 – February 1, 2008
Just days after a second psychiatric hold, Jamie Spears and Andrew Wallet petitioned the court for an ex parte temporary conservatorship.

Judge Reva Goetz granted this emergency petition the same day, without proper notice, and without Britney being present or represented by counsel of her choosing.

Britney’s court-appointed counsel, Samuel Ingham III, was imposed by the court despite her alleged objections.

February 4, 2008
A declaration was submitted indicating that Britney objected to the conservatorship and had attempted to retain attorney Adam Streisand.

Streisand appeared in court to argue that Britney wanted him to represent her and that she opposed the conservatorship.

Judge Goetz rejected Streisand’s appearance and upheld the claim that Britney lacked capacity to choose her attorney based solely on a medical declaration that was never cross-examined or reviewed with her participation.

February 6, 2008
The conservatorship was extended, and Britney remained without counsel of her choice.

2008 – 2021
The court continued to renew and maintain the conservatorship for over 13 years, based on the original orders that were established without proper due process.

During this time:

Britney was restricted from managing her estate, her body, her medical decisions, and her finances.

Despite earning hundreds of millions, she was treated as legally incapacitated.

Her repeated requests to end the conservatorship or have new representation were either ignored or delayed.

June 23, 2021
In her historic court testimony, Britney stated:

“I want to be able to be heard. I deserve to have a life. I’ve worked my whole life… I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive.”

“Ma’am, I didn’t know I could petition the conservatorship to end it.”
This directly underscores the result of the initial denial of due process—her rights were stripped before she even had the chance to assert them.

 
Requested Action by the Commission:
I respectfully ask the Commission on Judicial Performance to investigate the role that judicial officers—particularly Hon. Reva Goetz and Hon. Brenda Penny—played in permitting the long-term deprivation of Britney Spears’ civil rights.

Their actions resulted in the court enabling a conservatorship that began without proper notice, a meaningful hearing, legal representation of her choice, or medical evidence subjected to adversarial review.

The consequences of this judicial failure were not just legal—they were human, emotional, and deeply damaging. It is imperative that we acknowledge this precedent and ensure it is never repeated again.

Complainant's Personal Statement:
I am pursuing this complaint because the fundamental right to due process, guaranteed by our Constitution, was not upheld for Britney Spears. If a household name, known worldwide, can be denied this basic legal protection, it raises serious concerns about the integrity of our legal system for everyone. The erosion of this fundamental right affects us all, and ensuring accountability in such a high-profile case is crucial for restoring trust in our judicial system.

Moreover, Britney's story resonates deeply with me on a personal level. As a woman who has faced similar struggles in controlling relationships, though not under legal conservatorship, I understand the profound impact of losing personal autonomy. My connection to her journey is not just about empathy, but about recognizing the broader implications for anyone who might find themselves in a similar position.