Chris Brown Sentenced

Brown’s legal problems began Feb. 8 after he and then-girlfriend Rihanna left recording industry giant Clive Davis’ traditional pre-Grammy party when an argument broke out while the couple was driving through Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighborhood. According to the search warrant affidavit filed in the case, Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and even tried to push her out of the car.

Brown, who pleaded guilty to felony assault in June, was supposed to be sentenced on Aug. 5. However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg delayed sentencing because she wanted to be sure Brown performed manual labor as part of his punishment.

The hearing was scheduled for this Thursday, but Brown attorney Mark Geragos asked that it be moved up. Either way, the sentencing didn’t surprise anyone, since it had been worked out weeks ago when Brown copped a plea.

Given five years’ probation and six months’ community labor, Brown will be allowed to serve his sentence in his home state of Virginia, and his community labor will be overseen by the Richmond chief of police. While sentencing Brown, Schnegg reiterated that she wanted his manual labor to be just that – manual, as in physical labor – and did not want to see him try to pass off community service, such as mentoring youths, as such labor.

After Brown pleaded guilty in June, Schnegg ordered him and Rihanna to stay away from each other. Today’s sentencing extends that order to cover the next five years. A felony charge of making criminal threats was dropped.

The judge promised Brown a good dose of prison time if he violates his probation.

“I am not amused with the chatter that has been on the airwaves and any violation of your probation in this case comes with the potential for state prison,” Schnegg said.

Now it’s off to Virginia where Brown will serve his probation and community labor requirements and, one would assume, to restart his career. But what do you think? Will the public allow Brown to resume his pre-beating status as a music superstar? Or was his abusing Rihanna the beginning of the end of his music career?