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June 23, 2009
Probation, community service for Chris Brown
Singer Chris Brown will now have to do 180 days community service for his assault on ex-girl Rihanna.
The R&B singer pleaded guilty yesterday to assaulting Rihanna in an agreement with prosecutors that calls for five years of probation.
Brown, the singer of the hits "Run It" and "Kiss Kiss," also will have to perform at least 180 days of community service in his home state of Virginia.
The 20-year-old singer entered the plea at a preliminary hearing in a Los Angeles courtroom. He had been accused of assaulting and making criminal threats against Rihanna in February on the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards.
There was no plea agreement on the threat charge and a formal sentencing was scheduled for August 5. He had faced four years in prison if convicted in a trial on both charges.
Brown, dressed in a plaid gray suit and accompanied by his mother, also was issued a stay-away order to keep his distance from Rihanna.
Barbados-born Rihanna, whose hits include "Disturbia" and "Umbrella," also appeared in court but only after Brown left. Her attorney, Donald Etra, had said that she was prepared to testify against him.
"Rihanna believes this is a fair and just resolution to this case," Etra said outside the courthouse.