Chris Brown checks into rehab after D.C. assault charge reduced

Singer Chris Brown has checked into rehab a day after his appearance in a Washington, D.C., court over an assault charge that could have implications for his probation in Los Angeles.

“Chris Brown has elected to enter a rehab facility,� a representative for the singer said in a statement Tuesday. “His goal is to gain focus and insight into his past and recent behavior, enabling him to continue the pursuit of his life and his career from a healthier vantage point.�

Brown pleaded not guilty Monday in Washington, D.C., to a misdemeanor assault charge that prosecutors reduced from a felony. The R&B singer and his bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, were arrested early Sunday at the W Hotel in Washington.

The Washington, D.C., charge could have implications in Los Angeles, where a judge could determine he violated probation in his conviction for assaulting singer Rihanna.

If he is found to have violated probation, he could be sentenced to serve up to four years in jail, officials say.

Brown is still on probation for his 2009 felony assault in Los Angeles County on then-girlfriend Rihanna. The terms of his five-year probation require that he obey all laws.

Sunday’s incident was the latest run-in with the law for the Grammy-winning singer.

Brown is due back in a Los Angeles courtroom Nov. 20.

Details of the arrest and charge in Washington will be reviewed by the Los Angeles County Probation Department and provided to the district attorney’s office.

As part of his Los Angeles sentence, Brown had to complete an anger-management course and extensive community service. But he has been accused by prosecutors of violating the terms by disobeying laws and failing to perform the appropriate community service.

Brown agreed in August to complete another 1,000 hours of community labor to resolve questions over the number of hours he served and potential probation violations.

As part of a deal, the district attorney’s office withdrew its motions challenging the number of hours he had completed and a potential violation connected to a hit-and-run charge, which has been dismissed.

Under the terms, which were announced after three closed-door sessions with the judge and attorneys, Brown’s community labor options included doing work for Caltrans or cleaning up beaches or graffiti.

As part of his probation in the Rihanna assault, he was required to perform 180 days of community labor in Virginia.

Attorney Mark Geragos said his client had completed his court-ordered labor. But on Feb. 5, Deputy Dist. Atty. Mary A. Murray filed a motion outlining a series of inconsistencies with a report prepared by Richmond, Va., police about the number of community service hours Brown had served.

Murray said a review of Brown’s community service claims found “significant discrepancies indicating at best sloppy documentation and at worst fraudulent reporting,� and she asked a judge to order Brown to carry out his court-ordered labor in Los Angeles County.

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