After spending a day in jail in Washington D.C. on Oct. 27, Chris finally made his appearance in court on Oct. 28, where he was charged with misdemeanor assault — a reduced charge from what he was arrested on — before being released without bail.
Chris Brown is officially facing another assault charge. After being arrested for felony assault on Oct. 27, Chris was handed a reduced sentence of misdemeanor assault in a Washington D.C. court one day later and released without bail. Chris pled not guilty to the charges and he will be required to stay 100 yards away from the victim, Isaac Adams Parker, 20.
Chris Brown Charges — Breezy Charged With Misdemeanor Assault, Released Without Bail
Because Chris was arrested on a Sunday, the courts were not open and the arraignment had to be pushed back to Monday, Oct. 28. But the extra day may have worked in his favor. The singer was arrested for felony assault for allegedly punching a man in the face, but in court he was only charged with a misdemeanor. Chris’ bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, was also released without bail and his charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
Chris had been ordered to take a drug test, but the judge canceled that order.
Apparently the charges were reduced because the victim’s injuries were minor (though Isaac accused Chris of breaking his nose), and there were conflicting eyewitness accounts of the incident, according to TMZ.
The site obtained conflicting witness statements from both Chris and Isaac. Chris claims he was on his tour bus when the victim tried to get on and Chris’ bodyguard “handled it.” However, Isaac told police he tried to get a pic with Chris, who allegedly said, ”I ain’t down wit that gay s**t,” and then said, “I feel like boxing.” Issac claims Chris and his bodyguard both punched him, and then Chris got behind the bodyguard and yelled, “Yeah, walk away!”
Police say Issac was treated for a “fractured nasal bone.”
For Chris to be convicted of the new charge, the prosecution will have to prove that he knowinglycaused serious bodily injury to the alleged victim, and that he engaged in conduct that put others at risk.
“If Chris is found guilty on felony charges in D.C., he faces up to four years in prison,” attorney Darren T. Kavinoky tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. But the punishment for misdemeanor assault is far more lenient — just a maximum of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to DC.gov.
Chris could still face even harsher punishment, however, because he is still serving a five-year probation sentence for his assault involving his ex Rihanna in 2009. “The D.C. incident could also cause his probation in California to be revoked, and he could be given additional jail there,” Darren adds. “A conviction from D.C. is not required to cause his California probation to be revoked.”
Chris Brown Fighting Misdemeanor Assault Charge – Breezy Could Still Face Jail Time
In 2009, Chris pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time. The circumstances are much different this time around, however, because a guilty plea could have landed him in jail anyways for a probation violation; and in this case, Chris’s camp has stated that he didn’t even throw a punchin the first place.
“He didn’t hit anybody,” a source told HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “Words went back and forth and a little shoving and stuff but Chris didn’t hit anybody. He’s on probation and he has bodyguards and people to protect his space.”
Nevertheless, “Chris could still face jail time” for violating his probation, Los Angeles attorney Mychal Wilson tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY, adding:
The LA County Probation Department is conducting its own investigation to determine if Chris violated his probation in the Rhianna assault case. Essentially, the probation department will look at mitigating and aggravating circumstances stemming from his recent D.C. arrest. For example, an aggravating factor would be whether or not Chris Brown initiated the assault, while mitigating factors would include whether or not Chris Brown acted in self defense, the defense of another person, or prevented a trespass onto his tour bus. If the probation department determines that Chris Brown’s actions were conducted in self defense, defense of another person or preventing a trespass, then his actions may be be legally justified. Although highly unlikely because we are dealing with the California penal system, Chris could still face jail time because he may have violated the terms of his probation brought upon by the Rihanna assault. It doesn’t matter if it was a felony or a misdemeanor, as he still may have violated his probation since he “must obey all laws.” The worst case scenario would be that Chris did violate his probation terms and will serve four years in jail. However, the most likely scenario is that Chris Brown would have to perform more community service and take more anger management classes.