Update!

Chris Brown Charged With Two Felonies

D.A. formally charges singer with assault to produce great bodily injury and making criminal threats stemming from Rihanna altercation

By Gina Serpe Mar 05, 2009 8:20 PMTags
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Chris Brown is finally having his day in court—and it isn't good.

Nearly a month after Brown was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats following a violent and, judging by recently released evidence, bloody altercation with Rihanna, the 19-year-old R&B star has been formally charged with two felonies, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and making criminal threats.

If convicted on both counts, Brown's sentence could range from probation to a maximum of four years and eight months in state prison.

The district attorney's office, which so far has held off on formally naming Rihanna in the case, identified Brown's victim as "Robyn F." The 21-year-old songbird's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

Brown is expected to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court this afternoon to enter a plea.

While media has been gathering at the courthouse all morning in anticipation of Brown's appearance, a source tells E! News that sheriff's deputies have arranged for escorts when the singer does finally show for his arraignment, which won't occur until after 3:30 p.m.

On Feb. 8, Brown was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats and has remained free on $50,000 bail—free enough to resume recording, Jet Ski around Miami and controversially reconcile with Rihanna.

While the Los Angeles Police Department only handed over the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office yesterday, sources told E! News that Brown's A-list attorney Mark Geragos has been working tirelessly behind the scenes this week to try and plea down the charges.

Detectives originally attempted to turn over the case last month, but prosecutors requested more evidence to build as close to a slam-dunk case as they could.

In the meantime, the court has granted an LAPD search warrant for Brown's cell phone records. The department is seeking the records as part of their investigation into the criminal threats to check his "call history, text messages, voicemail and any outgoing calls" for information.

According to an affidavit filed by Det. De Shon Andrews, the incident between the singers was sparked when Rihanna "picked up Brown's phone and observed a three-page text message from a women who Brown had a previous sexual relationship" with.

Per Andrews, Brown then attempted to force Rihanna out of the car, which he was unable to do due to the fact that she was still wearing her seatbelt. Instead, he shoved her face into the passenger side car window, thus causing one-inch raised circular contusions.

According to the affidavit, Brown also allegedly punched Rihanna in her left eye and continued punching her while steering the car, ultimately biting her left ear and fingers and putting her in a headlock, "causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness. She began attempting to gauge his eyes in an attempt to free herself."

"The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to spatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle," Andrews said.

Per the detective, Rihanna attempted to phone her assistant but was unable to get through so instead pretended to talk to her for Brown's benefit, saying, "I'm on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there."

It was at that point Brown allegedly replied, "You just did the stupidest thing ever. Now I'm really going to kill you."

—Additional reporting by Whitney English and Ashley Fultz

(Originally published on March 5, 2009 at 10:20 a.m. PT)