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Chris Brown Pleads to Felony, Gets Probation

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 07:27:34 PM EST
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Singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty today to a felony and was sentenced to five years probation with 180 hours of community service for the assault on his then girlfriend, singer Rhianna.

As part of the plea deal, Brown was also ordered to attend 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and surrender any fire arms within 24 hours. Brown must also submit a DNA sample.

His probation will be no walk in the park. And the felony will stay with him. Rhianna's lawyer says she is satisfied with the plea deal.

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    Chris Brown Pleads to Felony, Gets Probation | 22 comments (22 topical)

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    Really? (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by jbindc on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 07:33:27 PM EST
    His probation will be no walk in the park

    He has to give up guns, do community service and not go near Rihanna, and do things not like break the law again.  Sounds like one of the easiest probations ever given.

    I agree completely (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by hairspray on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 07:41:17 PM EST
    Celebrities in particular are given walks in the park all the time.  The amount of domestic violence in the ranks of football and music stars is awful yet somehow their stardom "washes away all sins".

    Parent
    I direct a battered women's shelter (none / 0) (#3)
    by Lil on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 08:20:24 PM EST
    getting off easy for DV is actually quite common, celebrity or not.

    Is it true that the couple are separated? There was a lot of media early on (I actually appeared on TV to discuss it UPN 9). Of course one of the big stories at the time was her going back to him. I hadn't heard they split again. Surprised I missed that.

    Parent

    I did think that 52 weeks (none / 0) (#4)
    by Lil on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 08:24:33 PM EST
    of DV counseling was a lot more than what I usually hear. I never heard of that long of domestic violence counseling. I usually hear 26 weeks with an occasional doubling if non compliance occurs. But I hardly ever see batterers go to jail much.

    Parent
    It's frightening how often they don't do (none / 0) (#6)
    by nycstray on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 09:28:02 PM EST
    jail time. Felony, HELLO! If the counseling was staying at a treatment center perhaps . . .

    Thank you for the work you do.

    Parent

    Until they kill that is! (none / 0) (#12)
    by hairspray on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 10:59:25 PM EST


    Parent
    I saw a headline recently that said (none / 0) (#10)
    by Inspector Gadget on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 10:26:31 PM EST
    she was dating someone else. I just didn't read beyond the headline.


    Parent
    If this was a first time offense (none / 0) (#5)
    by magster on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 09:21:31 PM EST
    probation is appropriate, and 5 years is a long time to stay out of trouble (DUI, another DV charge, attend all 52 classes).

    Really, that he pleaded to a felony instead of having it reduced, or at least get some deferred type judgment indicates to me that the case was strong.  To me, this is not a good plea deal.

    Parent

    So we should just accept that first time felonies (none / 0) (#7)
    by nycstray on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 09:31:04 PM EST
    should be plead out for probation? Just don't get caught beating the H*LL out of a woman twice? Or a child etc?

    Parent
    Ditto that! (none / 0) (#9)
    by shoephone on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 10:15:17 PM EST


    Parent
    That was worded insensitively, I'm sorry. (none / 0) (#21)
    by magster on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 02:52:03 PM EST
    I am a criminal defense lawyer, and I used the term "appropriate" under that lens of what is usually offered in plea negotiations.  Honestly, the plea was worse for Chris Brown than what I would have expected to be offered.

    That said, domestic abuse is a despicable act, and what is "appropriate" in the criminal justice system is not near always appropriate in the real world of right and wrong.

    Parent

    Oh, Idon't know (none / 0) (#16)
    by jbindc on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 07:41:28 AM EST
    I've lived 40 years and have managed to stay out of trouble with the law.  It's really not that hard.

    Parent
    Not a walk in the park? (none / 0) (#8)
    by shoephone on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 10:12:48 PM EST
    After what he did to her? Please.

    I tutor kids who -- along with their mothers -- have escaped DV situations and now live in a "safehouse" shelter. I have no sympathy for Brown or any other batterer. He deserves to be in jail.


    Seems to me (none / 0) (#11)
    by Steve M on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 10:52:22 PM EST
    that if he had done a little time, a lot of men might have found themselves thinking twice.  I guess we won't know.

    I'm not a big fan... (none / 0) (#13)
    by Jerrymcl89 on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 11:18:44 PM EST
    ... of giving famous people harsher sentences for their example value. Arguably, everyone who does this should see jail time, but I don't think that only Chris Brown should.

    Parent
    Well (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by Steve M on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 11:40:54 PM EST
    I'm not a fan of the abstract principle either, I guess, but this isn't exactly Martha Stewart selling a few shares of stock.  This is a case where deterrence could realistically save women's lives, so there's abstract principle and then there's that.

    Parent
    I am surprised his attorney and he accepted (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 03:08:19 AM EST
    a plea to a felony.  Sounds like the alleged victim was ready and willing to testify.  

    Parent
    Doesn't seem right... (none / 0) (#17)
    by kdog on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 08:27:16 AM EST
    that people who never laid a hand on another person, sh*t never even stole from another, are in cages and guys like Chris Brown ain't..I hear ya gang.

    But the answer there is to let the non-violent folks out sooner, not lock everybody up longer.  

    Obviously street justice demands a beat-down for Chris Brown (and I'd be surprised if he don't get one eventually)...but the justice system must be better than that. I don't think the sentence is all that out of line...unless you compare it the most erroneous sentences for non-violent crimes like growing reefer of course.  The goal should be to get the guy to learn ya can't beat on people...young guy, first offense...there is still hope he can redeem himself.

    That was actually one of my thoughts (none / 0) (#18)
    by nycstray on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 08:35:56 AM EST
    people in jail for pot and this guy (and others) aren't.

    Parent
    Actually (none / 0) (#19)
    by jbindc on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 09:20:10 AM EST
    If we truly were a society where the punishment fit the crime, then someone much bigger than Chris Brown would beat the living cr@p out of him - make him fearful, and realize he's not a "big man" because he can hit a woman who is smaller than he is.  THAT would be the punishment he deserves - not 180 hours of community service for rich people.

    Parent
    I hear ya... (none / 0) (#20)
    by kdog on Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 09:24:29 AM EST
    I said that is what street justice demands...few things make my blood boil more than a man who beats on a woman.  If he beat on my sister he'd be lumped up or I'd be lumped up trying.

    But society and the justice system must be better than that...otherwise why not just go all the way and live in anarchy, at least we'll be more free.

    Parent

    I too work at a DV shelter (none / 0) (#22)
    by peon on Wed Jun 24, 2009 at 08:45:51 AM EST
    and in my experience this was a surprising stiff sentence. We see women all the time with terrible injuries where her abuser gets very little in the way of penalty. Certainly jail time is very unusual. Last year we had a woman in shelter who was beaten so severely on her face that her eye was still blackened in May and the crime occurred in Sept of the previous year. She lost teeth, had stitches, her four year old son was present, the abuser had multiple other offenses, the police transported her to the hospital (the attack occurred on the side of a state highway and the police happened upon their disabled car with the bleeding woman hiding in the bushes).
    There was no "he said, she said" issue involved. He got 35 days in jail with sentencing happening on June 29. The judge asked the defendant if he wanted to wait to start his sentence until after the July 4th holiday, which of course he did.
    Not surprising the woman was outraged at the whole process. Those of us that have worked at the shelter for a while were surprised he actually had to serve 35 days in jail.  
    I too wish Chris Brown was held to account like any other person who commits a violent assault. Unfortunately his comparatively light sentence for domestic violence is the norm. In fact his victim must have been ready to testify and the evidence must have been very damning for him to take the felony.

    Chris Brown Pleads to Felony, Gets Probation | 22 comments (22 topical)

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