Britney Spears being"deprived of her Constitutional rights"

Britney Spears is being "deprived of her Constitutional rights", says the man who claims to be the troubled singer's new lawyer.

Jon Eardley, a leading lawyer with practices across the US, says he is seeking a "return to normalcy" when it comes to the Toxic singer's living and legal situations.

Eardley reportedly filed a complaint in U.S. District Court on behalf of Spears on Thursday - blasting the existing conservatorship - currently held by Jamie Spears - as a "violation of [Britney's] civil rights," and requested the case be moved from California state court to a federal court.

"I see the case as a civil rights case," he says. "These are issues of confinement. Very serious confinement. Not allowed to contact her friends. Not allowed to use the phone. Not allowed to come and go as you please. Bodyguards controlling you and so forth."

Jamie Spears, Britney's father was granted temporary conservatorship over his troubled daughter - allowing him to restrict the visitors Britney receives and the right to approve contracts.

Jamie applied for the order after Britney was committed at the UCLA Medical Center in the early morning hours of January 31.

Since the singer's release from the UCLA earlier this month, she has spent much of her time at her Studio City home, and when she does go out, she is usually accompanied by a driver and a bodyguard. In court papers, Eardley states: "She is being confined by the conservator to the private prison of her own home."

On Friday, a Superior Court spokesperson said that the existing conservatorship and other orders "are still in effect," and that court officials are unaware of any federal court action or scheduled hearings on the matter.

Eardley says he has never met the 26-year-old pop idol, but Spears sought his services. "She reached out by phone. I have no idea how [she got my number]," he tells People.com

Eardley says he doesn't normally represent celebrity clients - but has hired spokesperson Michael Sands, who until recently worked with Kevin Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan.

When asked if Britney's often-erratic behavior posed a danger to herself and others, Eardley said, "I don’t," adding that he sees far worse cases on the streets.

"In downtown Los Angeles I'm surrounded by people talking to themselves and having fits on the street," Eardley says. "They are out in public. They are not being institutionalized."