Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
In the celebrity domestic violence case involving R & B performer Chris Brown and his ex-girlfriend singer Rihanna, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault on Monday. Per the terms of the plea agreement, Brown will serve six months of community labor, five years of supervised probation, as well as participate in domestic violence counseling. This is Brown’s only offense for domestic violence.
A stay-way order has also been issued that prevents the former couple from coming within 50 yards of one another-unless it is an industry event; in these situations, the two of them must make sure the distance between them is at least 10 feet.
If Brown had refused the plea agreement and was convicted of criminal threats and felony assault, he could have ended up serving up to five years in prison. The 20-year-old singer was arrested last February for allegedly threatening and beating Rihanna during an altercation prior to the Grammy Awards. The singer is accused of trying to push his then-girlfriend out of a car, shoving her head against a window, punching her, and biting her ear.
While some people are questioning whether Brown’s punishment is too lenient for the crime, the Los Angeles Times reports that his sentence is in line with what other first-time offenders pleading guilty to the same crime will usually receive. Former deputy district attorney Dimitry Gorin says he has negotiated similar plea agreements for other defendants and that Brown’s sentence is not a light one.
Gorin noted that even if Brown were ordered to serve jail time, the Los Angeles County jail is so overcrowded that the singer would likely have served just a “fraction” of his jail sentence. District attorney spokesperson Sandi Gibbons says that Browns’ plea agreement was not “special treatment” and that Rihanna approved of the deal.
Settlement reached in Chris Brown’s alleged beating of Rihanna, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2009
Chris Brown Pleads Guilty in Deal, The New York Times, June 22, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Massachusetts Law About Domestic Violence
Group Reports Massachusetts 15 Domestic Violence Homicides to Date for 2009, https://www.bostoncriminallawyerblog.com, June 7, 2009
Domestic Violence Overview, Justia
Domestic Violence Arrests
Our Boston domestic violence lawyers know how serious your situation is if you’ve been charged with a domestic violence crime in Massachusetts. We take all domestic violence allegations very seriously and we will do our best to achieve the best outcome possible for your Massachusetts criminal case.
