Singer Chris Brown charged with two felonies

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Brown briefly appeared in court yesterday, hours after he was charged with two felonies stemming from what a police detective described as a brutal argument between the singer and his girlfriend, Rihanna.

Brown's arraignment was postponed until April 6 on charges of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. The 19-year-old R&B singer from Tappahannock remains free on $50,000 bail.

A court commissioner ordered him not to harass, threaten or harm anyone. At the request of Donald Etra, an attorney representing Rihanna, the commissioner did not order Brown to stay away from her.

Brown answered a few questions from the commissioner as his mother watched from the front row along with family members.

Details released yesterday offer a different portrait of Brown than the squeaky-clean image he has cultivated. The young man once praised for his Michael Jackson-esque dance moves is described in a detective's affidavit as punching his girlfriend, biting her ear and trying to choke her until she nearly lost consciousness.

He rose to fame after the 2005 hit "Run It!" He was nominated for a Grammy for "No Air" with Jordin Sparks and named Billboard's top artist in 2008.

His arrest prompted an exodus of sponsors and a retreat into secrecy for Brown and Rihanna. The couple were among the marquee names scheduled to appear and perform at the Grammys on Feb. 8, but they canceled their appearances after the alleged incident early that day.

The courtroom was filled yesterday with onlookers and news media for Brown's brief appearance. He and his attorney did not speak to reporters after the hearing.

The felony complaint handed down in court yesterday identifies Brown's alleged victim only as "Robyn F." (Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.) Rhianna's attorney, Etra, also identified the "Disturbia" singer as Brown's alleged victim.

Etra declined to say whether Rihanna would testify against Brown or whether the couple had reunited.

If convicted, Brown would face a sentence ranging from probation to four years and eight months in state prison, said district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

According to a detective's affidavit, Brown and Rihanna got into a fight early Feb. 8 after she checked her boyfriend's cell phone and found a text message from another woman.

Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was wearing her seat belt, Los Angeles police Detective De Shon Andrews wrote. Brown pushed Rihanna's head against the window, punched her with his right hand, and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit states.

Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.

Brown was arrested hours later and booked on suspicion of making criminal threats.

A Barbados-born pop singer, Rihanna recorded one of 2007's most popular songs, "Umbrella." Her looks have made her a cover girl for magazines.

Associated Press Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.