Chris Brown Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault

It is being reported that singer-actor Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault after a violent incident in February between himself and pop singer Rihanna. This now closes a long a sordid saga.

AP News is reporting that Chris Brown has pleaded guilty today to one count of felony assault in a plea deal. The deal calls for him to serve five years of formal probation and six months, or approximately 1,400 hours, of community labor. The judge expressed concern about Brown not being a resident of California and has agreed to allow him to complete the community labor work in the state of Virginia. Judge Patricia Schnegg also ordered that Brown stay away from Rihanna. After entering his plea and hearing about the stay-away order, Rihanna entered the courtroom and was told by Los Angeles Superior Court about the plea deal and the order. It is being reported that Rihanna had not asked for the stay-away order but Justice Schnegg ordered it anyway. It says that Brown and Rihanna must stay at least 50-yards away from one another, except for at industry events. Schnegg told Brown that:

I think it's commendable you took responsibility for your conduct.

and also expressed to Brown the hope that "the terms and conditions of your probation will have some meaning."