Chris Brown Back to Making Beats
Posted Jun 24th 2009 3:00PM by TMZ Staff
A day after copping a plea in his assault case against ex-girlfriend Rihanna, Chris Brown was spotted texting his way into a recording studio in Hollywood on Tuesday.
In between community service, probation and domestic violence counseling, the 20-year-old felon is gonna try and squeeze out some more hits.
Chris Brown has copped a plea in his assault case. He won't do jail time, but he will spend 6 months doing things like road cleanup. He's also been ordered to stay 50 yards clear of Rihanna.
He'll spend 180 days doing community labor (8 hours a day -- 1440 hours total) -- which is, in effect, hard labor. He'll do his service in Virginia which is where Brown lives. A Virginia law enforcement officer told us Brown will be picking up trash, pulling weeds and washing fire trucks.
He gets 5 years probation for FELONY assault -- he pled guilty. He'll get supervised probation. He'll have to come back to court every three months.
He must enroll in a domestic violence counseling program.
This is interesting ... the judge said if Brown and Rihanna are at the same public events, the 50-yard stay away turns into 10 yards. The stay away order lasts 5 years.
The judge said she wanted to make sure that Chris Brown "was treated as any other person who comes through this court."
If Brown violates probation, he could get up to 4 years in prison.
Rihanna is in the courthouse but never entered the courtroom.
So Brown is now a convicted felon and loses the following rights: To own a gun, to sit on a jury, subject to search and seizure without a search warrant and he now has limitations on travel.
When Brown left the courtroom ... Rihanna walked in the courtroom. The judge explained the deal to her. The judge is telling Rihanna about the protective order.
THEY'VE JUST ALLOWED A CAMERA IN THE COURTROOM. OUR SOURCES SAY IF A CAMERA WAS LET IN THAT MEANS THERE ALMOST CERTAINLY IS A PLEA BARGAIN
UPDATE: Even though Rihanna's there it still does feel like plea bargain
UPDATE: BIG CHANGE. RIHANNA IS IN THE COURTHOUSE. THAT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A PLEA BARGAIN. She's wearing all black with sunglasses -- looks like a pop star going to a funeral.
UPDATE: Rihanna's lawyer is in court but she isn't there. It smells like a plea deal.
UPDATE: Brown is in the courtroom. His head is down and he looks rather upset. His mom is in court, along with other family members. There is reserved family seating.
Chris Brown just walked into the court in downtown Los Angeles, through a sea of media and law enforcement.
Officially, his preliminary hearing is set to begin at 1:30 PT and Rihanna is supposed to testify. But Brown's lawyer was in chambers this AM with the prosecutor and the judge. We're hearing they may announce a deal when the case is called.
Chris Brown was absolutely glowing when he visited his lawyer's office earlier today.
The possibility of jail time will do that to a guy.
See Also
Chris Brown -- Plea Bargain?
Rihanna's Command Performance -- In Court
Rihanna has a big date with Chris Brown today ... along with a judge, a few lawyers and a courtroom full of onlookers.
RiRi is set to take the stand as a witness against Chris Brown in his preliminary hearing, which begins at 1:45 PM PT.
Rihanna's testimony is hugely important. Will she stick to the story she told cops the night of the beating? Rihanna said Brown had beaten her before and the violence was escalating.
One big question -- will Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, cross-examine Rihanna? We're told if the case goes to trial Geragos will make a big point that Rihanna was the initial aggressor, repeatedly hitting him before he began pounding on her.
Also hugely important ... the photos of Rihanna's battered face. We've published one pic graphically showing the brutality of the beating. But we're told that photo pales by comparison to photos taken the next day after the bruising and swelling settled. Those photos will almost certainly be introduced into evidence during the prelim.
The judge has rejected TV or livestream coverage. We'll have constant updates.
Chris Brown -- I'm a Celebrity ...
Posted Jun 16th 2009 5:15AM by TMZ Staff
Chris Brown is secretly knee-deep in a campaign to resurrect his image and his target is a certain group of 12 people who will judge his fate. And guess what -- it's working.
We've been talking to people in Brown's world and here's what we know. Brown -- who hired Sitrick and Company, the crisis management firm for which he more than qualifies as a client -- has been calculating every public move he's made over the last 6 weeks. From the NBA final game last Sunday ... to the "I'm-not-a-monster" video.... to the antics with Omarion -- Sitrick and others have tried to make the images of Rihanna's bruised and battered face disappear -- or at least recede into the background.
One source says Brown has been told going out clubbing could kill his chances with a jury -- it's just too flip. For the most part, he's obeyed them, although they weren't happy when Brown hit a club with the Kardashian sisters and Bow Wow.
Ironically, Rihanna has actually helped Brown by resurrecting her glamorous self and getting on with her life.
Short story: We're told the Sitrick and Company game plan is the opposite of what many lawyers would urge -- going underground until the trial. They want Brown out and about, resuming life within limits.
Rihanna takes the stand next Monday to kick off Brown's preliminary hearing. Should be interesting.
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