Chris Brown Gets Harsh Sentence from Judge, Earlier Violence Revealed

The original restraining order imposed on Chris Brown through the trial phase of his felony assault on Rihanna has been extended for the full five years of his probation sentence, something that Rihanna's lawyer did not ask for. In fact, Rihanna's lawyer asked that the order be removed because it may create inconveniences when the two are performing or attending various industry-related events. But the judge decided to ensure that Brown would not be allowed near Rihanna for the next five years.

Part of that sentencing modification may have been due to the fact that prior incidents of violence involving Brown and Rihanna have surfaced. During two separate incidents prior to the February beating, Brown and Rihanna had gotten into violent arguments. In one instance, Rihanna struck Brown, who then pushed her against a wall. In another, it is alleged that Brown broke both the front and passenger windows of a vehicle while in an argument with Rihanna in the Caribbean.

The judge in the case had delayed Brown's sentencing hearing once to ensure that he would in fact be performing hard labor in Virginia as part of his sentence. The judge did not want Brown to fulfill his community labor requirements by speaking to children or leveraging his celebrity in any way. Brown's attorney read a letter from the Virginia police stating that he would indeed be performing hard labor under their supervision. Rihanna was not present at the hearing.