Chris Brown faces possible jail time after a judge revoked his probation Monday in connection with his conviction in the beating of his girlfriend Rihanna.
Brown’s alleged failure to hand over his drivers license and insurance information to another driver after a minor traffic crash in May triggered the probation revocation, but the singer will remain free until a trial is held.
Brown, 24, was already facing a probation violation trial after prosecutors accused him of not completing the community labor ordered for his 2009 felony assault conviction.
A representative for Brown, however, said the singer expects the traffic charges to be dropped and probation reinstated.
A lawyer for the other driver said in a court hearing Monday morning “that his client did not want to press charges, that any damage was “negligible” and that Chris did identify himself at the scene and that she was given all of the appropriate insurance information,” the Brown rep said in a statement to CNN Monday evening.
“We are hopeful that the case will be dismissed next week,” the rep said.
A woman whose Mercedes was allegedly rear-ended by a Range Rover that Brown was driving on a Los Angeles street told investigators that he “went ballistic” after the traffic accident and screamed at her.
According to the police report on the incident, the other driver, Olga Gure, quoted Brown as shouting at her: “You are a b—h!”
The report added more from Gure, who quoted Brown as saying, “Who do you think you are, b—h? Do you think if you driving Mercedes so got money, b—h? Do you think I am just a black n—-r? I got more money than you, beech!”
The trigger for Brown’s alleged rage was that Gure took a photo of him and his girlfriend, Karrueche Tran, to document the scene — since he allegedly refused to show her his driver’s license, she said.
When Brown tried to grab the camera, Tran screamed “Don’t touch her, don’t touch her,” Gure said.
“I was so shocked, that I was speechless,” she said. “Just a moment ago he was a nice guy. After screaming some insulting nonsense for a while longer, he slammed a door and drove away fast and noisy.”
A private investigator visited her two days later to give her Brown’s name, birthdate and business address and the contact information for Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, she said. She was also given an expired insurance card for the Range Rover, she said.
A body shop estimate showed Gure’s car needed $868 in bumper repairs.
Brown was ordered to return to court on August 16 for a hearing to set a trial date to determine if the probation revocation will stand. If it does, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Brandlin could order Brown to jail to serve part of the original five-year jail sentence imposed for the attack on Rihanna.
Another judge continued the traffic case against Brown during a hearing Monday morning. He is charged with hit-and-run driving and driving without a license.
Brown’s Twitter defense
Brown used his Twitter account to protest the traffic charges last month:
“It’s not a hit and run if u get out the car, exchange information (who has NO DAMAGE to either cars).This is really ridiculous”
“I have a valid drivers license and I gave the woman the right info. She saw cameras and wanted to make a scene.”
“She contacted the cops thinking of a payday from Chris Brown when I followed the proper procedures.”
“My lawyers will be contacting you. I will not stand for this bullying and yellow journalism!”
“My profile pic is the pic I took of the persons car after “the hit and run”. NO damage. Just a dirty car. once again, I gotta clear my name”
“I work my ass off to provide for my entire family. I’ve made mistakes in the past and have worked hard to be a better person. ”
“19-24 years of age. I don’t have all the answers and you can’t show me a person that age who has it figured out. We live and grow. Let me live”
Another probation violation charge
Brown punched Rihanna inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street, leaving her face bruised and bloody on the eve of the Grammy Awards in February 2009.
He entered a guilty plea seven months later and was sentenced to serve five years probation and to spend more than 1,400 hours in “labor-oriented service” for the assault conviction. The judge allowed him to serve the sentence in Richmond, Virginia, under the direct supervision of the police chief.
In a court filing in February 2013, prosecutors accused Brown of not completing the community labor. The paperwork Brown submitted to show he had completed community labor is “at best sloppy documentation and at worst fraudulent reporting,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. Brown wasn’t in town on some of the dates reported, the motion said.
Geragos, Brown’s attorney, said the prosecutor’s filing was so fraudulent that he would ask the judge to punish the deputy district attorneys involved and call for a contempt of court hearing for filing false documents with the court.
“And I don’t mean just false, it is fraudulent,” Geragos said.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has “tortured” Brown during his probation more than any client he’s ever had, Geragos said.
The prosecutor is asking the judge to order him to restart his 1,400 hours of community service under the supervision of a Los Angeles probation officer.
[CNN]