Britney Spears used to be famous for her songs, good looks and seemingly charming, wholesome personality. During the last few years, she has been on the covers of tabloids a lot more often than on stage, and magazines sell like hot cakes if they covered a Britney-story, while her albums are released more seldom than ever.

Her over-indulging in alcohol and drugs led her to detoxification clinics and finally to court, where charges were pressed against her. She was also accused of being an unfit mother – who can forget the time when Britney sped off in her car, while holding one of her boys on her lap, almost crushing him with the steering wheel? Or the time when she tripped and almost dropped one of her sons, who was rescued in time by her bodyguard? And who hasn’t seen the pictures with Britney frantically shaving her head? It’s no surprise that the judge thought Kevin Federline was more fit to parent the boys in his own than in joint-custody with Britney – and it’s rare for a judge to rule in favor of the father as opposed to the mother. Also, who didn’t sigh with relief when Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, decided to take control over his daughter and her finances?

Fortunately for her and the on-going custody battle between her and Kevin Federline, Britney Spears seems to have cleaned up her act recently. She was spotted walking soberly, and not into a club where she would proceed to strip and drink, providing entertainment for her much more reserved friend, Paris Hilton.

She came to court hearing sober, dressed decently, clean, looking fresh – like a mother truly willing to change for her sake and the sake of her children. Her hair looks healthy, her skin looks healthy, and she lost weight and gained back muscle tone. It seems that her father helped her get back on track.

One last thing hinders her new ascension to the cusp of fame – her trial involving driving without a license. Britney hit a parked car in 2007, and fled the scene. She was accused of driving without a valid license. Britney doesn’t have a California license, just a Louisiana one. The prosecution pointed to an incomplete application for a California license filled out by Spears as proof that she considered herself a legal resident.

Her father testified that she spends most of her time in Louisiana, while a paparazzo who follows her around and has done so for years testified that she spends 80% of her time in California.

Spears's lawyers claimed she only lived in California to fight for custody of her two sons, and that she owns property in Louisiana and is registered to vote and pays taxes there.

A mistrial was declared Tuesday after the jury announced that it was deadlocked after three days of deliberations, with 10 jurors voting for acquittal and two for conviction. The prosecutor said he would not seek a retrial.