Prosecutors slapped R&B star Chris Brown yesterday with two felony charges for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna, during a vicious beatdown last month.
Brown, 19, wearing a dapper dark suit, white shirt, silver tie and matching vest, was in LA Superior Court on a charge of “assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury” and making “criminal threats.”
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Read the Search Warrant Request (PDF)
Read the Full Criminal Complaint Against Brown
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Rihanna was not in court, despite reconciling with Brown since the violence. Still, through her lawyer, she stood by her man and turned down a judge who offered her a tough order of protection.
“Rihanna asked not to have a ‘stay away’ order,” said the lawyer, Donald Etra.
Brown showed up surrounded by a bodyguard and at least six aides.
He stood next to defense lawyer Mark Geragos as his mom, Joyce Brown Hawkins, sat behind the defense table and cried.
Brown is accused of repeatedly punching and choking Rihanna, 21, to the point where she almost lost consciousness and spit out blood, according to an 11-page LAPD affidavit.
But he won back his battered gal pal after a weekend of fun and sun at P. Diddy’s island home near Miami.
They were spotted together at the LA airport earlier this week, as Brown returned to California to defend himself against the charges.
Although Rihanna turned down the “stay away” order, Commissioner Kristi Lousteau took it on herself to issue the lowest-level order of protection, warning Brown not to harass her.
“Mr. Brown, I order you not to annoy, harass, molest or use violence on any person,” Lousteau said before letting Brown walk out of court.
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Rihanna’s lawyer said the Grammy-winning singer wants to thank all her fans for their good wishes.
“She wants to comment and express her appreciation for the support she’s gotten from her family and friends and fans around the world,” Etra said.
Geragos asked that his client’s arraignment be delayed to April 6.
Lousteau agreed and allowed Brown to remain free on $50,000 bail.
If convicted, Brown could face anything from probation to four years and eight months behind bars.
After the hearing – but while still in court – Etra, told Brown, “I think Rihanna would like this over as quickly as possible. It benefits everybody,” according to the TV show “Extra.”
Outside court, Etra declined to speak about the alleged assault or say whether Rihanna’s opposition to a restraining order signaled an end to her cooperation with authorities prosecuting Brown.
“This is not the time to discuss the facts of the case,” he insisted.
The felony charges – and threat of jail time – didn’t seem to faze Brown just before the hearing, according to InTouch magazine.
Two hours prior to his appearance, Brown was spotted in The Beverly Hills Hotel, surrounded by three bodyguards outside a room.
“They were laughing and joking around,” a hotel guest told the magazine.
“Chris was in a great mood.”
The source said a bodyguard then asked the singer if he was nervous.
“It’s all good,” Brown responded. “I’m not sweating it.”
Brown surrendered to police on Feb. 8 for allegedly beating Rihanna some 19 hours earlier after they drove off from a pre-Grammys party.
The felony complaint identifies Brown’s alleged victim only as “Robyn F.” Rihanna’s full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Brown also threatened to “kill” her once “they got home,” the court papers said.
The court papers revealed one pathetic attempt by Brown to make things right.
On Feb. 17, Rihanna’s personal assistant, Melissa Ford, told authorities she’d gotten text messages from a number she recognized as belonging to Brown, the court papers said.
“In the text message, Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised Ford that he was going to get help,” the court papers said.
Brown was originally booked for making a verbal threat – although a shocking LAPD crime photo soon surfaced showing Rihanna with a badly bruised and cut face.
According to police, the fight broke out after Rihanna read a text message on his phone from a “woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.”