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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Chris Brown Probation Yanked After CA Show

LOS ANGELES (CN) - A judge on Thursday said there's no evidence that R&B Singer Chris Brown was culpable for recent shootings at a San Jose nightclub, but revoked his probation for violating a restriction on travel outside L.A. County.

In 2009, Brown was charged for attacking pop star Rihanna, in February of that same year, in a rented Lamborghini in Hollywood. The assault left the singer with visible bruises on her face.

Dressed in a thick olive green t-shirt and skinny grey jeans, Brown was accompanied to an afternoon court hearing on Thursday by his girlfriend, model Karrueche Tran.

The singer was in the criminal court in downtown L.A. for a progress report, after being ordered to complete community service following a guilty plea for assault and making criminal threats.

Judge James R. Brandlin said Brown's probation officer had lodged a "favorable" report.

Brown has stepped up his efforts to complete 1,000 hours of court-ordered community service, and was only 202 shy of completing it, the judge said.

But two incidents caught the attention of the probation officer.

This past Sunday, five people were shot and injured at a San Jose nightclub where the 25-year-old singer was performing. And in August last year, Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight was shot six times at a VMA party in Hollywood hosted by Brown to promote the release of his sixth studio album "X."

Judge Brandlin said the incidents were "troubling to the probation officer," but saw no evidence that Brown had anything to do with the shootings. What troubled the judge was Brown had violated the terms of his probation by traveling to San Jose, since his probation terms restrict him to travel within L.A. County.

Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, told the court that his firm was to blame.

According to the attorney, someone in his office had told Brown the terms of his probation allow him to travel in California.

"We take responsibility for that. We gave him the wrong advice," Geragos said.

Prosecutor Mary Murray urged the court to revoke Brown's probation, arguing that there was "no compelling reason" not to. Brandlin agreed.

The judge said that in the last six months Brown had worked three or four days a week to complete community service. He would "accept at face value" Brown's contention that travel to San Jose was due to an oversight.

But his probation officer should assess the incidents involving the VMA party and the San Jose concert, the judge added.

Brown is due back in court on March 20. In the meantime, Brandlin ordered him to continue doing his community service.

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