Britney Spears DUI case goes to court on Monday

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES, May 4 (Reuters) - Lawyers for musician Britney Spears are expected to appear in a California courtroom on Monday to respond to a charge that the pop superstar drove her BMW while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Spears, 44, was charged with one misdemeanor after authorities responded to a report in March of a black BMW traveling erratically at high speed in Ventura County, California. Officers located the vehicle and arrested Spears after observing signs of impairment, the California Highway Patrol said at the time.

It is unclear if Spears will attend the Monday arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court. Because the charge is a misdemeanor, her lawyers can enter a plea on her behalf.

A legal filing said Spears unlawfully drove under the influence of a combination of alcohol and at least one drug. It did not specify which substances authorities believe she used.

Spears will be offered the chance to plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs, according to the Ventura County District ​Attorney's Office. This is a common resolution for someone who has no prior DUI history, did not crash and has shown a willingness to undergo treatment, the office said. It typically ​carries a sentence of 12 months on probation.

A representative for the singer said in April that Spears had voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation facility after the DUI arrest.

Media reports said Spears had completed her in-person treatment last week and returned home, where she would continue counseling remotely. Her representatives did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

The "Baby One More Time" singer had been under a conservatorship that controlled many of her personal and financial decisions for 13 years until a judge released her from the arrangement in 2021.

Fans had launched a "Free Britney" movement and argued that Spears did not need supervision. Her family said Spears suffered from mental illness and the conservatorship was meant to protect her and her $60 million estate.

In 2007, Spears ​was charged with one count of hit-and-run causing property damage and ​one count of driving without a valid California driver's license, both misdemeanors. She also was hospitalized for undisclosed mental health issues that year.