[Smells Like News] Chris Brown May Have Wanted To Plead Guilty Earlier

Singer reportedly told probation officers that his lawyer prevented him from pleading immediately.
By Gil Kaufman


MTVi Description: Chris Brown attends his sentencing at the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in Los Angeles on August 25, 2009
Photo: Pool/ Getty Images

Documents released on Tuesday during Chris Brown's sentencing reveal that the singer may have wanted to plead guilty to the beating of his then-girlfriend Rihanna earlier than his June 22 court appearance, but was blocked from doing so by his attorney.

According to TMZ, an "ashamed and embarrassed" Brown met with attorney Mark Geragos, his mother and probation officers at Geragos' office on June 26 and told them he had been was eager to enter a guilty plea for assaulting Rihanna on the morning of February 8.

The singer, who said he saw domestic violence in his home growing up and didn't want to "carry on that cycle," reportedly told the probation officials that he wanted to attend domestic violence counseling and "do it right." He added, "I want to take responsibility for my mistake. ... [I'm] totally remorseful for what I have done."

TMZ also reported that at the June 26 meeting, Brown said he had already apologized to Rihanna "on a few different occasions" and that he was "uncertain" of the status of their relationship at that time.

Brown, 20, cut a plea deal with prosecutors on June 22, pleading guilty to felony assault for beating, choking and biting Rihanna, 21, during an early-morning fight on February 8. He had been facing nearly five years in prison if convicted on the felony count and another count, later dropped, of making criminal threats.

On Tuesday, Brown was sentenced to five year probation and six months community labor, in addition to being ordered to stay away from Rihanna for the next five years. A probation report prepared for Tuesday's sentencing also described previous violent incidents in the couple's past. Three months before the February assault, while the couple was traveling in Europe, Rihanna slapped Brown and he shoved her into a wall during an argument. Then, three weeks before Brown severely beat Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards, the couple was in the "Umbrella" singer's native Barbados when they got into an argument while driving. According to the report, Brown got out of the car and broke the driver's and front passenger-side windows. No one was injured in the incident, and it was not reported to authorities.

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Posted By sysop to Smells Like News at 8/26/2009 07:02:00 A
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