Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - BRITNEY SPEARS "WET RECKLESS" PLEA, BUSTS OUT OF REHAB, CAUGHT ON VIDEO "TWERKING SONS LEG"

Episode Date: May 6, 2026

Britney Spears pleads guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving following a March DUI arrest in California.  She checked herself into rehab for 30 days. A judge sentenced her to 12 months probation avoid jail time,  but as part of the plea, Britney must complete a three-month substance abuse program, pay a fine ($571), and participate in mental health counseling.  Originally arrested on suspicion of DUI, her attorney entered a guilty plea for the reduced charge of "wet reckless".  She has also been ordered to meet with a psychologist once a week and a psychiatrist twice a month, following her voluntary check-in to rehab prior to the plea.  Prosecutors cited her lack of prior DUI history, low blood alcohol level, and voluntary rehabilitation for the plea deal, Joining Nancy Grace: Troy Slaten  - Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney, Slaten Lawyers,  certified 'Standardized Field Sobriety Test Instructor,' Candidate for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge,  Twitter @TroySlaten Max Miner - President and CEO of Executive Treatment Solutions (ETS),   Website: ExecTreatmentSolutions.com  Sierra Fox  - Entertainment Host & Media Personality - Former TV Anchor  Fox 5 DC,  website: www.thesierrafox.com,  @thesierrafox (Insta, FB, TikTok, X) Dave Mack -  Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Superstar Brittany Spears enters a wet and reckless guilty plea. What is that? Wet and reckless. Also, Spears busts out of rehab way early. Did it do any good at all? And she is immediately caught on video twerking on her own son's leg.

Okay. We're off to the races. Good evening. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. She felt like a circus animal. She was pushed out there to do the shows, and then she claims her family took all her money. This is her life. This is all she knows. She is a performer. Brittany Spears busts out of rehab after a wet, reckless plea. Straight out to Sierra Fox, joining us, entertainment host, media personality. former TV anchor 5 Fox 5 in D.C. Sierra, what happened? Rehab's already over? I know. It went by quick. Just three weeks, Nancy. But Brini Spears was arrested back on Wednesday, March 4th in Ventura, California, after allegedly driving erratically in her black BMW on US 101. And this was reportedly her first offense. She's never had a DUI before. Thankfully, no one got hurt. There was no crash or injury involved.

and now she's been sentenced to 12 months summary probation, has to pay a $571 fine, has to participate in a three-month DUI program totaling 30 hours of class time. Once a week, she now has to visit with a psychologist, twice a month visits from a psychiatrist, and her attorney says she's taking responsibility and she's thankful for the outcourt of support she's received.

And her manager also put out a statement saying this is her first stop. Brittany Spears taking response. disability Sierra Fox? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. She was a no show in court. Was she in court, Sierra Fox? She was not in court, Nancy, no. Pause, pause, pause. Can I see the twerking on the sun's leg video? That's what I need to see right now, just to make sure it's real. Did this happen? Oh, okay, yeah, it is happening. Yeah, not the best look for Brittany right now. To Troy Slayton joining us, veteran trial lawyer out of this jurisdiction in L.A. He is also candidate for L.A. Superior Court judge.

Troy Slayton, why wasn't she in court? She's not required. In a misdemeanor case in the state of California, an attorney can appear on behalf of their client, as long as they have permission from their client under Penal Code Section 977. So it's a standard operating procedure. in courts every day throughout the state of California. Brittany did nothing wrong or nothing unusual by having her attorney appear on her behalf, as long as he's got authorization to accept a plea, which he did.

Please look at your monitor. She just pulled her bikini bottom down, so her pubic hair, if it was there, would have been visible. That has nothing to do with this case. Did you just say she did nothing wrong? Look, I'm not the church lady, but that ain't the way to start off after. rehab. You know what, hold on. I appreciate everything you're saying, but at least show up to court. Before I go to Max Minor, Troy Slate, what is a wet, reckless plea? It's something in between a dry reckless and a DUI. It has all the hallmarks of a DUI. You still have to go to an alcohol and drug education class.

It's still priorable as a DUI, which means if she gets another DUI within the next 10 years, it counts it would count to enhance the second offense. There's still a fine. There's still the driving restrictions from when she was arrested. So it just kind of makes the person feel better and gives them a little bit of a carrot. It's reserved for cases where there's very low levels of alcohol and there was no accident. There was no really serious reckless driving. Why did you say accident?

when you make the decision to drink and then you get in a car. Look, I have rooted for Brittany from day one. I was out there with free Britney. I got a lot of hate for that. But where it all stops for me is when she finally gets an HB, a virtual violator. An HV is the worst and you get hard jail time for that. Why do you get an HV? When you finally mose somebody down.

What? It's not illegal to drink. and drive. It's not illegal to drink and drive. It's illegal to be above a 0.08. It's illegal to be so impaired by alcohol. It may not be illegal if you're under 0.08. You know what? You tell that to the crash victim and it is not an accident when you choose to drink and get behind the wheel. That is a decision and I know you heard me. Straight out to Max Minor joining us, president, CEO, executive treatment solutions. Max, three weeks, really?

And she's already twerking on her son's leg. I know the church lady, I don't care who she twarks on. But how can three weeks of rehab do anything? Well, I mean, from my perspective, in terms of what I do every day, the outcome couldn't have been more perfect for her. However, it's not about, you know, what, it's about what change. when she left Nancy and quite frankly, based upon what we're seeing, doesn't seem like a lot has. And conversely, don't get me wrong.

People can spend six months in a treatment center. And unless you buy into the process, you're never going to affect any change. But the reality is, is that two and a half weeks, that's just getting started. Let's be honest with each other. She's 30, 60, 90 days. People like to think that there's these timelines. But based upon what we're seeing, it doesn't seem like she's. She's affected any change to me.

How is Brittany Spears doing right now? She's doing well. She's doing great. She's very positive. She's obviously pleased with the results here. The dismissal of the DUI, the reduction to a reckless driving. It's a 12 months of probation. She's going to do well.

And we all root for Brittany. There were all the reports that she had left rehab early. Is that accurate? Absolutely false. Is she happy with the plea that was taken inside court? I don't think anybody's happy about pleading guilty to anything. But under the circumstances, and to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result. We appreciate the court. We appreciate the thoughtful disposition.

We appreciate the district attorney, recognizing the positive steps that Brittany has taken to help herself. And, you know, we expect that she'll continue to do so. Mm-mm. That is Michael Goldstein. That's Britney Spears's lawyer speaking to entertainment tonight. To Dave Mack joining me, Crime Stories investigative reporter. I never would have appreciated for a defense attorney to say we really appreciate everything you did. That means they liked it.

That means they got what they wanted, which is probably not in the best interest of the people, the state. The innocent people out there driving their children home from soccer practice or to piano classes. And here comes Brittany and a big honking Hummer. 0.06. What happened to the drugs, Dave Mack? the drugs that were in her car. You know, Nancy, that was not part of this plea deal at all, not mentioned, just tossed away. We don't know exactly what they found, and they did the, whatever drugs were found were not mentioned as part of her sentencing in court.

Back to Sierra Foxx, joining us, entertainment host, former anchor Fox 5, Sierra, thank you for being with us tonight. Can we go through the plea and what happened in court from beginning to end. Tell me. Yeah, well, Brittany was sentenced, as we mentioned, a 12-month summary probation. She has to pay a $571 fine. She has to participate in a three-month DUI program, totaling 30 hours of class time. And then once a week now, she has to visit with a psychologist, and twice a month she will visit with a psychiatrist and her manager put out a statement saying this is the first stop in a long overdue change that needs to happen in Brittany's life. To Max Minor, you're stating that you believe with all of her history, all of her

history of reckless driving, seemingly driving under the influence and more, you believe a 30-day program works, because that's the first time I've ever heard that. No, no, I do not. And listen, I'm not, nobody has a crystal ball. But what I can tell you is that it takes typically at least 90 days to where we can actually see any sort of change take place. But Nancy, you have to remember, this is a first-time DUI. Her going into residential treatment on her own volition is much more than, you know, the average person does or is even capable of doing. So they really lean into that.

What I'm confused about and what we see with our clients all the time is that she decided to leave before court, from my understanding. And that just really kind of tells you exactly where, you know, what the intentions were. I mean, I'd also like to know what's the continuation plan. What's the aftercare plan look like for her? Because I just don't think that anything is in place. I mean, kind of subject to what we've seen with some of these videos, it just doesn't seem like, you know, it just doesn't seem like she's on the, on the path to recovery. And again, Max Minor, all I care about is protecting victims from violent crime, and that includes being run down in a crosswalk by a drunk driver. I've seen too many mangled up cars. I've seen too many bodies pulled out of cars as a result of drunk driving.

I want to circle back with you in a moment, Max, about the fact that her BA blood alcohol was 0.06 by the time it was finally drawn at the hospital, okay, number one. But when you say the continuation plan and what you're seeing reveals to you that nothing has changed, again, Max, I don't care if she dances around. naked on Insta? I don't care. I think it's a shame that if she's going to dance and use her talent, she's not booked in Vegas making a mint of money because she's spinning it like it's water. But that said, you know, the old phrase, why buy the cow and you get the milk free? I think she needs to be using her talent to benefit herself and her children, right? But that's just me. I don't care what she does on Insta. I'm not passing a moral judgment on her.

I don't want anybody to pass one on me, and I don't want to pass one on her. But I agree with you, Max Minor, that to hop straight back in to Insta, twerking on your kid's leg, it seems like she's right back to what she was doing before, whatever that may be.

Nothing has changed. You can probably verbalize it better than me. Well, I mean, again, you know, yes, I agree with you. I just keep going back to, you know, with our clients, the new gold standard has become a year in treatment. I think what really hurt her situation is that she really has. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. The new gold standard is a year in treatment. somewhere like Betty Ford, which is real.

It is not like a spa in Puerto Rico. It's real. You get real help. And I've noticed Max Minor, and this is your business. President and CEO of Executive Treatment Solutions. It's a pretrial mitigation treatment support service. It helps people in crisis avoid jail time through treatment plans.

That's what you do. I've noticed that people, including celebrities, that go into Betty Ford, come out and they seem to be better. And it's really hard to beat alcohol. It just takes over you. You can't fight it.

It's an addiction. Yeah. I mean, it really is. And what I meant by the gold standard, Nancy, is that typically what we're seeing with the courts

in Southern California is that they're requiring a year in treatment, usually, I mean, with felony, serious felony crimes. And I think what hurt her here is that her an attorney, herself very quickly realized that, hey, listen, this is a first time DUI. Everything that Sierra listed off, that's basic, basic stuff that she has to do as a result of her plea of wet reckless. It's basic stuff. Everybody has to do it. It's box standard. What I would have liked to have seen is her attorney, her so-called team supporting her, leverage the criminal case a little bit more and say, hey, why don't we at least complete 30 days?

You know what I mean? It just, there just wasn't very much forethought there. And that's what makes me believe that this isn't for real. You know what Robert Downey did, Robert Downey Jr. And he had a horrible addiction problem and is one of, I believe, one of the greatest actors ever that we've,

seen. And I remember a phrase he stated in Mex Minor that he was, you know, this is theoretically, to make a point. He said he was putting a gun in his mouth and he liked the taste of the metal. In other words, continuing to drink. He was putting the gun in his mouth and he liked the taste of the metal. I never will forget him, that. He was trying so hard to get clean. And he finally went into, as I recall, wavelengths international. And he was in that program six months after he got out of jail. And he went on to be a huge success in Iron Man and all of the sequels, have a happy home life, everything. And he is dry. And I use him as an example of what

you can do. But it's hard. It's so hard. Max, I've seen so many people, I would recognize them when they came back in the courtroom. And of course, I only handled felonies. But by the time I got them, they were habitual violators or that had a crash or they had killed somebody. And I don't want that for Britney Spears. And 30 days, it's like flicking water at an inferno. It's nothing. you. Correct. And I think that's been made very clear, right? And I think what's also been made very clear is that there's more than just the criminal case. And again, no one has a crystal ball. I'm not a doctor. I can't predict your future. But what I can tell you with 100% certainty is that the more time that you spend in a treatment environment, your chances for success and continued long-term

sobriety exponentially increase. And 30 days, that's not, that's not, that's a starting point. That's not the finish line. Hey, Max, let me ask you a question. Because I am speaking anecdotally. I'm telling you anecdotes, stories, true things that happened to me when I was prosecuting and what I saw. And what I saw, I was already a teetotaler for health. But what I saw in the courtroom made me a teetotaler for life, for life, no alcohol in the house, nothing. Because I saw so many brilliant people, their lives were just ruined. And I remember one case, I was a pony, as they called it. I had just come to the office and I was studying under a veteran trial lawyer, a great trial lawyer. And he had me take a couple of guilty pleas. And I was looking at this woman's

file. She had to be a woman's file. She had to be a great trial lawyer. been the top of her game, stockbroker. Three children, husband, beautiful home, the works, everything. Dream come true, right? Okay. Her husband left her. She lost custody of her children. I think you have to be bonded to be a stockbroker in certain situations to trade stocks and bonds. She lost that because of drinking. She lost everything. Nobody was in court when she took her guilty plea. She came, you know, hobbling in. She was triple shackled. which of course did not need to be done. I ordered her legs to be unshackled.

She was shackled at the hands to the waist to the foot. And she came in with those chains jingling. I'm like, I can't believe this beautiful woman has lost everything. And her husband had written all these letters. He's never going back. She's never getting custody again. It's all gone. And I decided to be teetotal that day and never even been tempted.

So what I'm saying is you, it can ruin your life. Explain what you do, Max. Well, I can definitely second that it can ruin your life. You know, Nancy, as you know, my personal story. So, you know, what we do is we take, we help individuals. Well, everybody else doesn't know your personal story. Tell it. So, you know.

My name is Max Minor and I'm an alcoholic. Isn't that how it starts? Correct. Correct. Correct. Correct. That's right. My name is Max Meyer and I'm an alcoholic and, you know, I nearly lost everything as a result of it. I spent nine years an active addiction and to your point, right, found myself in the most demoralizing situations that I never thought were possible.

I was doing things, you know, that I told myself that I would never do. And it was all a result of my untreated substance abuse and, you know, an alcohol issue. And so what we do, Nancy, at Executive Truman Solutions is we help people navigate those exact same struggles that nearly killed me. And we help them navigate the criminal justice system. We leverage their criminal case in a way that motivates them. There's that little extra bit of motivation to help keep them on the straight and narrow, get through the criminal case, and come out the other side stronger. Well, Max, you apparently didn't lose everything. because I see a child's drawing behind you and a firm photograph of a female.

So there's obviously somebody still in your life that didn't leave you. You didn't lose your family, did you? Well, oddly enough, I met my wife a year and a half sober. I now have two little girls, two and three. And it was all, you know, that's the beautiful thing about it, Nancy, is that you can really rise from the ashes. And I would have never, I would not have the girls. I would not have my wife if it wasn't for everything that I had to go through.

And the only way that I was going to be at that specific gym that day is if I was at the sober living that I'd spent a year in, you know, the treatment center just down the street. So it's funny how life, it has a way of lining things up for you, isn't it? Hey, Max, don't screw that up. Two little girls, a beautiful wife that loves you, don't mess it up, man. And you know what? You're not the only one. Dave Mack, my friend, my colleague, who was with me practically every day on the air.

Dave Mack is crime stories, investigative reporter nearly lost it all because of alcohol. And look at him now. Dave Matt, explain. Do you, and of course, we're on the outside looking in, but I've seen enough cases, Dave Mac. I've seen enough heartache to know 30 days for Britney Spears didn't do anything, Dave. It broke my heart seeing her come out of the so-called rehab and immediately return to, you know, posting online. 17 days for somebody that has an addiction, alcohol drugs, is detox. You know, it takes a week to 10 days, sometimes longer, just to get your system cleared out.

And in the first 30 days, Nancy, there's a roller coaster of emotion. You've got the physical stuff. You know, you realize in the first 30 days, a lot of people can't sleep because of the physical trauma, the emotional and psychological trauma. All that's going on. Think about that. 17 days, she probably isn't sleeping through the night. And this is the part that hurts, is that I know what's possible.

You know, I know that she can come out of this and can be an example for the world look at and go, wow, she did it, because it's available if you just will apply yourself. I went through it. My goodness, it stinks being at the very bottom. But, you know, when you're so as low, you can play handball against the curb, Nancy, you're looking for a way to survive. And it is not just possible. People are doing it every day. I did it. And I think with all of the spotlights on Brittany, it's got to be tough. But she's got so many people standing around her. handing her a pill or handing her this or telling she's fine, she's not fine. And I just pray that in this time of I hope reflection, that somebody can get her ear and just say, hey, sweetie,

let's do this for real. Let's get your life back. Not to show and tell. Let's get your life back. And that's all, that's my biggest hope and prayer for her right now. This is my house. If I want to come in here and give you lotion, for your face because it is coarse and all you tell me, no, it's fine it's fine. No, it's not fine. You all better start respecting me. Are we

clear? Yeah. And when Robin calls and you're all you're all, even Robin's a fucking kid. She goes, what have you been doing of your kids? You're all, you all need to start treating me like a woman with worth. I am a woman, okay?

Be nice to me. Do you understand? You lost your mind. Have you lost your mind? I do care, but I'm shocked. You are seeing from Fetterline for real. That is Brittany, duking it out with her children. And when she's saying, respect me, respect me, treat me like a woman.

Because actually I think she has been disrespect. She's been objectified since she was a little girl and worked like a mule for Pete's sake. but my point there is Max Minor, you've had to deal with the families like her boys. I don't know how old they were in that video when she's telling them to respect her. I mean, if they're little children, they're probably going, what is mommy saying? What does that mean? But that said, I understand her anger and frustration. But when you have a family, no, no, they matter first.

how many families have been lost and sacrificed to alcohol, Max Minor? People lose it all. Yeah, we do. We have a way of doing that. And the saddest thing is that, you know, when we're in the midst of it, we're unable to see what other people are so clearly able to see, which is us just literally burning down the house with everybody in it. And, you know, I deal with families all day long. And quite frankly, the truth is that a lot of the times you have to remember is that, you know, and not for a, not for any, you know, malice reason, but the families themselves become very sick in dealing with the individual because they're constantly being manipulated. They're constantly being lied to. They're constantly engaged in this like fighter flight. And what's even more sad is when it's, you know, children, right?

They don't have a choice. They can't just get up and leave. but we see it all the time where families themselves become very sick as a result of having to deal with the chaos, the day-to-day chaos of the individual that they love that is just in the midst of either a full-blown substance abuse battle or a psychiatric episode and it's it's really sad to see. It's a very sad to see. Guys, take a listen to what we are learning from the Ventura County DA. Ms. Spears will have a diminished expectation of privacy in her car as a result of this informal probationary grant. What that means is that if she is stopped by a peace officer, she will have to submit to a test for the presence of alcohol or drugs. If stopped, her vehicle can be searched for the presence of alcohol and drugs. and she cannot drive with any intoxicant in her body.

One of the key components of the disposition this morning was to make sure that Ms. Spears continued to undergo her mental health and substance abuse treatment regimen. We are wholly in support of her doing so. This will include at least twice a month visits with her psychiatrist. and once a week visits and sessions with a psychologist. That's the DA speaking, and that's from our friends at Fox News. Troy Slayton, I'll tell you another concern I have.

Guys, Troy is a veteran trial lawyer. He's won a lot of cases, which of course is not the litmus test, but it doesn't hurt anything. He's joining us out of this jurisdiction, L.A. County. Troy, this is the thing, all right? when you don't get well, when you're in there for less than 30 days and you walk out, you don't show up at court. I know you don't have a problem with that.

I do. And you go right back on Insta living your old life. Your old life is not working. It didn't work. You have to start a new life. You have to start over with things different. And I'm worried about this. the probation can turn into jail time probation today, jail time tomorrow.

If she is caught drinking, what happens to that probation? Well, if she's caught violating any of the terms of probation, then probation would be revoked. And what people don't understand is what probation means is that we're giving you this opportunity to have the keys to the jailhouse in your hands. It means you're not going to go to the jail up to 90 days that you can serve for a wet reckless here in California. And instead, if you do A, B, and C, in this case, if she goes to the psychiatrist twice a week,

if she goes to her psychologist once a week, if she completes the three-month drug and alcohol education program, which is 30 hours, if she does all those things and not drive with any, measurable amount of alcohol in her in her system or drugs, then she'll successfully complete. And after a year, she'll be off probation. And then all the rules that go back to somebody who's not on probation apply to her. But she still has a prior. So bottom line, when you're on probation and you violate the probation, sometimes even technically, but if you violate that probation,

such as her drinking or doing drugs or driving or not showing up to the class or not or not going up to her drug or alcohol class or not going to her psychologist twice a week and or psychologist once a week and the psychiatrist twice a month. If she doesn't do any of those things, then she'll be right back in court and it won't be as nice as it was the other day. and also she wouldn't be allowed to appear. She'll get revoked, Troy. And she wouldn't be allowed to appear without her attorney. Her personal presence would be required. I mean, that would be the least of her words that she's got to go to court because her probation will be revoked.

In other words, if I sentence you to two years probation, and of course that opens you up to unannounced searches in your home or your car, as he pointed out, and they find a job. joint, or they find one hit of crack, or they find drug paraphernalia. If they find anything, you're revoked for the period of your probation. You go to jail then for two years, for what's left of your probation. So these conditions put on her could trigger a probation revocation. To Sierra Fox is joining us, entertainment host, former anchor Fox 5. Sierra, what are the conditions on Brittany Spears's probation?

Nancy, I just want to go back quickly to the social media because people, I think, feel just emotionally connected to her story. She's gone from a global pop icon to public struggles. We've seen it all to the conservatorship battle. And people are really invested in what happens next. And I think people are divided. Some people see her as expressing her freedom and independence and others are concerned about her well-meyer.

me being. But I think this just really highlights the difference between the legal outcome here and public perception because legally, technically this is resolved, but publicly people are still going to form opinions based on what they see her doing in real time on social media. Like right here, she's dancing to the song, Feel in Love by Paula Cole in a short dress showing a lot of skin. And we have to keep in mind, Britney Spears is a performer. So she probably misses that aspect in her life. So this is just a way of her showing self-expression. Some people do that through golf. Some people paint.

Everyone has different hobbies. And I think this is just a way that she expresses herself online. But I think a lot of people are always so quick to judge what she's doing and think something is wrong. But you can see in her Instagram bio, she says she's an artist, a mama. She prays every day and chef in the work. So clearly she has things that she loves in her life. And I think, you know, she probably wants to do well.

And this is just a form of expression for her. That said, Sierra Fox, again, no one is judging her morally. I don't care. I don't care, Sierra Fox, unless there is crime scene tape around it. Then I care. I did make the observation if she's going to dance, including dancing naked, she might as well get paid for it and get up on a stage and make money for herself so she can continue the high life that she's living.

That said, I'm certainly not a financial advisor, but Dave Mack, I agree with everything Sierra Fox just said. But again, what are the conditions of probation? Nancy, she has 12 months of informal probation. And during that time, she actually needs a three-month substance abuse program that has to be fulfilled. She was ordered to continue mental health treatment. That means a weekly psychologist, twice-monthly psychiatrist. Beatrice visits. And as part of the condition, she waived that Fourth Amendment right to searching

her vehicle without a warrant. Her attorney fought and prevented it from being extended to her home. They have to get a warrant to search her home. Now, the DA's office, Nancy, considers this a, quote-unquote, standard plea deal for a first-time offender with a low blood alcohol level. There are conditions to Britney Spears' plea. She will be placed on 12 months probation. That is going to be a problem. If she violates the law within the next year, she cannot possess drugs without a prescription,

a valid prescription, that could be a problem because it's been reported. Spears has gone to Mexico more than once to get her hands on Adderall. She has to go to mental health, substance abuse treatment, meet with a psych once a week, a psychiatrist twice a month.

if she violates any of these conditions during the next 12 months, she can be sentenced to jail. Speaking of jail, Max Minor, other than getting dried out in jail, do you believe any of the rehab programs behind bars work? Well, I mean, that's a, there's a two-part question of that, Nancy, is that you've got the state level programs, which quite frankly are pretty much non-existent, especially in LA County, and then you have the federal level programs, excuse me, three parts. And then you have the actual programs that are in prison, you know, like in upstate. And those, you know, those absolutely provide value. But in terms of LA County jail, other than maybe getting a, you know, an Alcoholics Anonymous little book,

you'll be lucky to get that. There's not really any programs that are available to individuals. at least I know during my time, my wonderful time that I spent there, you know, when I used to joke and call it my penthouse on the fifth floor, there was, there certainly wasn't any programs available to me. So question, Troy Slayton, part of the probation requirements is that she attend a DUI class. I've ordered that many, many times, but when it got to an HV moment, habitual violator, the person had to go to jail because they had been charged with DUI over and over. Reckless driving, hitting a fixed object, you name it, until finally they landed in my court.

So what exactly are DUI classes? What do they do? How often are they? Does she have to go? How will the court know if she doesn't show up? Explain. So the three-month alcohol class is known as AB 541 here in California. She has to, it's broken up into several different types of sessions, one-on-one group sessions, which she will have to attend in person, and they closely monitor it, and they report back to the court. She's going to have to show proof of enrollment in the class by a certain date. She's going to have to show progress in the class by a certain date, and then she's going to have to show proof of completion to the court by a certain date. If she misses any of those deadlines or if she is a no-show to class without a prearrangement with the class to have a makeup class, then she could be in a lot of trouble, and that would be a violation of her probation.

So she's got a sword of Damocles hanging over her head by a very thin string. This charge, the reckless driving one, is indeed what we call prerable. Should she reoffend in the future, she will not be given the benefit of this reckless driving charge. Rather, she will be charged with driving under the influence, and her penalties and her consequences would ratchet up. That includes potentially up to five years of formal probation. and one year in Ventura County jail. In this case, it was a DUI. There was no evidence presented that there were drugs in the home, alcohol, or anything of that type.

So therefore, looking at the nexus to the crime here, the court finds that it should only be limited to her vehicle, those search terms. So she is open to search and seizure for alcohol and drugs in her vehicle only. does Ms. Spears understand and set the terms of the conditions of her summary probation? Yes, Your Honor. On behalf of Ms. Spears, she agrees and she understands. And does she understand that this is priorable as DUI, meaning although she was only convicted of a wet and reckless, if she's convicted of the DUI within the next 10 years, it will count as a second. Does she understand that?

All right, then she's released on 12 months of summary probation. We'll need sign terms within one month. from our friends at Fox News and Extra. So does this mean at the end of 12 months she's cut loose max minor? No supervision, no psych, no DUI classes, nothing? You know, unfortunately, Nancy, that's exactly accurate. That's 100% accurate, right? As long as she adheres to the terms of her probation successfully completes the AB541 that Troy spoke about.

You know, and I want to add to that is that, you know, while that is, you know, while that is conducted by a third party. There's there's there's programs businesses that provide these services. You know, it's not it's not as cut and dry as people think. It's not as black and white. You know, yes, people say, well, if you miss one class, but there's ways to wiggle around it, right? There's ways to there's ways to work the system. So, you know, in the beginning of the same we talked about. Well, I mean, for example, let's say, you know, she doesn't show up for a couple sessions. There's ways, you know, if you're looking to game the system, there's ways to do it. Of course, right? Unfortunately. But I think what we talked about at the beginning.

Max, I know you know the answer. How do you cheat the order? So, I mean, for example, what you could very easily do. So let's say she, let's say she does have to take a, you know, a urine test, right? I mean, you can easily adulterate that test. You can buy, you know, literally, you know, smoke shop. You can go and bike buy fake urine, right? You heat it up in the microwave. It's got a little temperature strip on it. Make sure that it's within range. And boom, right? If it's a non, if it's not a what's called a monitored test, all she has to do is slip that in the cup, right? There's, it's not that difficult for Nancy. Nancy, it really is. Why do you put urine in the microwave? And why do you even know that max minor? Well, because listen, right, when you collect a specimen,

it has to be within a certain temperature range. And so they've got this nice little temperature strip on it, right? And as long as it falls between 90 and 100, and 203 degrees, typically you're in the clear. And, you know, maybe I know that because my, you know, my past obviously is pretty checkered myself. So again, right, if there's ways, if you're looking for ways to do it, you can. But yes, to answer your question from the beginning. You can buy clean urine in a smoke shop? 100%. 100%. Is that the urine you put in the microwave or was it your own urine you put in the

microwave? Oh, excuse me, some other person, SOD, some other dude put it in the microwave. Synthetic. So it's what's called synthetic urine, right? It's not, it's not real. It's not, you know, actual, you know, urine. But yeah, you could do that too. You could literally, you know, use somebody else's, you know, urine that's clean. But yes, yes, you can. You can go down to the smoke shop. You can buy synthetic urine. You can buy whatever it is you need. You can have the rapid detox kits to flush out your system.

Yeah. Unfortunately, that's the reality. Wow. Is there a way to get out of showing up at the DUI class? Well, yeah, there is. There's programs that exist. There's programs that have been shut down for what's called a pay to play, right? And, you know, pretty much every criminal defense attorney knows about these, right?

I mean, this is the reality of this industry. There are programs where you can literally pay to play, meaning that you pay the fee and we say that you completed the program. We're going to say that you were here. And I've seen it where people have come in, clients have come in to try and I'm sure Troy has seen this as well, come in to try and basically pass off a, you know, a letter of completion. Well, I looked at the, this was from one of my, someone was trying to work with us. And I said, wait a minute. This program was shut down five years ago for this, for this exact type of behavior that I'm describing to you. So yeah, unfortunately, that is the reality, Nancy. This is what, this is what's going on.

Dave Mack, crime stories investigative reporter. I've had people that actually, would strap the urine sample to their leg, tape it to their leg to get it to the body temp to submit it. I want to give you the last word, Dave Mack. Nancy, I have to explain that the first 30 days of attempting sobriety is a roller coaster. The first 10 days your body is revolting against you and fighting against you every step of the way. It's a blitzkrieg on your system, emotionally, psychologically, physically. And at 17 days, Brittany is still experiencing that. What comes next is a pink cloud.

As all that stuff gets out of your body and you start feeling normal or human again, you start feeling emotions you haven't felt in years because they've been suppressed. These are all the things that await. And my hope and my prayer is that Brittany will find somebody in the program that can surround her, can really, really provide her with what she needs to accomplish a sober experience. You know, it's different than just stopping using alcohol or drugs, Nancy. That's a dry drunk. Almost anybody can do that.

To actually live a sober life is to change all of your patterns, all of your life, and to actually stand on your own two feet, hearing her tell her children to respect her, well, why would they? She's acting like a child. She needs to be the adult in the room, and she can. It's possible, and that's my hope and dream for her. This wake-up call will drive her into where she needs to be next. Our hopes and prayers for Britney Spears tonight,

hoping there will never be a victim of her drunk driving. If you need help, please dial Alcoholics Anonymous Officiated 800-934-9518. repeat, 800 934-9518. Or Mothers Against Drunk Driving offers help. Toil-free 877-M-A-D-D-H-E-L-P, 87-623-3-4-35. Tonight, we remember an American hero, the famous slash infamous Ted Turner,

who created a cable empire, and I would like to report gave me my chance at HLN. Never once did I pass him in the hall or even on the street that he didn't stop me, wish me well, knowing my name and all about what we were covering. A man that important, that big in the industry, to know that small of a detail and encourage someone like me. Ted Turner Godspeed

Thank you to our guest but especially to you for being with us tonight Nancy Grace signing off for tonight but I'll see you tomorrow night and until then good night, friend This is an I-Heart podcast Guaranteed human