Britney Spears must wait for overnights with sons

LOS ANGELES, Oct 11 (Reuters) Britney Spears, fighting to win back custody of her young children, asked a Los Angeles court today for permission to spend nights with the two boys, but the judge declined to rule on her request.

Lawyers for Spears, 25, who lost custody last week to her ex-husband Kevin Federline, filed an emergency motion asking for overnight visitation rights with sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

Spears is only allowed to see the boys during supervised daytime visits. She previously shared custody with Federline, but a judge revoked that arrangement a week ago after the singer failed to comply with court orders for random drug and alcohol testing.

Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon told lawyers for Federline and Spears today there was no reason to alter his order from last week, saying, ''I don't see the emergency.'' He said he would let the attorneys decide among themselves whether to allow overnight visits, but the lawyers told reporters no such agreement was reached.

Neither Spears nor Federline attended the hearing. Both have been ordered to attend a hearing on October 26, when the issue will be reviewed.

Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, criticized Spears for trying to change the arrangement so quickly.

''The fact that a party, one week after a full court hearing, attempts to change the orders of the court in the absence of an emergency and without any new facts suggests a continued lack of respect and understanding for what an order of the court actually means,'' he said in a statement.

Celebrity news Web site TMZ.com said Spears had asked for her mother to be appointed to monitor the overnight visits.

Other media reports have said Spears reconciled with her mother Lynne after a bitter six-month estrangement.

Spears has been ordered to get coaching on parenting skills after Gordon said there was evidence that she was a frequent user of ''controlled substances and alcohol.'' Spears and Federline split a year ago after two years of marriage, and her personal life has since veered out of control despite a stint in rehab.

Spears' latest single, ''Gimme More,'' has shot up the music charts despite a disastrous comeback performance in September at an awards show. Her new album -- the first with new material in four years -- will be released on October 30.

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