Richmond police to supervise Chris Brown’s community labor sentence

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Richmond Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood confirmed last night that his department will supervise Chris Brown's community-labor sentence that was imposed yesterday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg.

"Judge Schnegg may be assured that we will be diligent in maintaining the proper records of Mr. Brown's work activities and schedule," Norwood said in a written statement.

For several weeks, the Richmond Police Department and Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, have been working out the logistics for Brown's court-imposed community labor, the statement said.

"We welcome Chris Brown back to Richmond, and we assure everyone involved that the command of the court will be followed," Norwood said.

Schnegg sentenced Brown to five years' probation and six months' community labor in Virginia for the beating of Rihanna and ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his ex-girlfriend for the next five years.

Brown has a residence in Montpelier and is a native of Tappahannock.

The judge told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violates any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they are attending music-industry events.

The judge said she wanted to ensure that Brown, 20, performs physical labor instead of community service such as mentoring young people. He also will undergo a year of domestic-violence counseling.

Rihanna, a 21-year-old pop singer, did not attend the sentencing.

After Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in June, Schnegg ordered the pair to stay away from each other and to not contact one another. Her order yesterday essentially extended that for the next five years.

Donald Etra, Rihanna's attorney, has said he didn't think the strict rules were necessary, but that he and Rihanna favored a less-stringent ruling that simply ordered Brown not to annoy, harass or molest Rihanna.

Schnegg said she was aware of reports that Brown had been seen on several occasions in the same places as Rihanna.

"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 told Brown.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna.

The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car after leaving a pre-Grammy party. A police detective described a brutal attack in a search-warrant affidavit, saying Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car.

Brown's career suffered after his arrest; sponsors dropped him and radio stations refused to play his music.

In a probation report, Brown is quoted as saying he was "depressed" since the attack and that he "'does not want to carry on that cycle.'"

A felony charge of making criminal threats was dropped yesterday.

AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and Times-Dispatch staff writer Juan Antonio Lizama contributed to this report.