Did Chris Brown's sentence fit the crime? Let the debate begin.

  

There has been some hand-wringing over a judge's decision to sentence singer Chris Brown to six months of "community labor" -- but no time behind bars -- after he pleaded guilty to felony assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

But was the sentence too lenient? Several legal experts said the sentence appears to be in line with what other first-time offenders who plead guilty to the same crime would receive.

Dmitry Gorin, a former deputy district attorney who handled domestic violence cases, said the plea bargain “was not unreasonable.” 

“We have a first time offender here and he is getting 180 days' hard labor and five years' probation. That is not a light sentence for someone who's not been convicted before,” Gorin, adding he has negotiated similar pleas.

He said one must keep in mind that if Brown were to serve time in the L.A. County Jail,  he would serve only a fraction of his sentence because of jail overcrowding.

“I have had clients want to do the jail time when they know the jails are overcrowded and then won’t serve anything like the sentence,” he said. 

Stan Goldman, a Loyola Law School professor, said he believes Brown's defense team walked away with a good deal for their client. He said he has typically seen such defendants given a choice of 30 days in jail or 90 days with Caltrans cleaning up the freeway. 

In 1988, Christian Slater was sentenced to 90 days for beating his girlfriend and fighting with police, who responded to a brawl at a Wilshire Boulevard condominium in August 2007. He pleaded no contest to battering a female companion and a police officer and being under the influence of a controlled substance. 

A judge declined to allow him to serve the time in a treatment facility. Slater instead did the time in a La Verne police jail. There he worked as a janitor and did other manual help.

Similarly "24" star Kiefer Sutherland pleaded no contest to a single DUI count last year and was sentenced to 48 days in jail for that offense and violating the probation terms of his 2004 DUI conviction. He served his time in Glendale Police Department jail and did janitorial work.

Paris Hilton was famously sentenced to 45 days in jail for violation of the terms of her probation by driving on a suspended license. She ended up serving 23 days despite the sheriff releasing her at one point. Upon learning of the release the judge ordered a tearful Hilton back to jail.

In the Brown case, Sandi Gibbons, a district attorney’s spokeswoman, said the plea bargain is not special treatment and is what a first time offender in such cases can receive. 

She said Brown will also be on probation five years and will have to attend anger management classes. She added that Rihanna approved of the plea. 

-- Richard Winton

Photos: Times file photos of Slater, Hilton, Brown

Comments

[Smiley]

I wonder what she did to provoke him?

[Jess]

If a man with no prior criminal history, like wife beater Brown, beat the living (bleep) out of a dog he'd get jail time. But beat your lady front, back, side to side and you get Cal-Trans work? G'lord have mercy!!

[stewart]

all the justce you can afford...another OJ in the making here, we probably will not have heard the last of this individual no doubt?

[James Patrick Casey]

...It is always interesting to see the law professors and the "former" deputy district attorneys come out of the woodwork with their incisive views of the criminal justice system. I am a senior deputy district attorney (on active duty) and have been a career prosecutor in Northern California for twenty-five (25) years. The sentence in this case is simply a sham. It can, undoubtedly, be attributed to the baubles and bangles of the defendant.
...Domestic violence is an insidious, pervasive aspect of our society. This case was domestic violence at the felony level. The victim was willing to take the stand and testify. This, in and of itself, is significant. Many, many victims of domestic violence will not testify for any number of reasons. One would think that the victim in this case would make an excellent presentation on the stand. The prosecutor in this case was asleep at the wheel. The disposition is an insult to women. The victim in this case was, apparently, severely beaten to the point of visible wounds. This defendant now walks without a scintilla of time behind bars. One can almost hear him laugh in the background.
...The crime in this case is known as a "wobbler." That is to say, it can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor. You can bet the farm that defendant's attorney(s) will move, at a point in time, to have it reduced to a misdemeanor (California Penal Code §17(b)). At a point in time, this defendant will no longer have a felony conviction and will have served no jail time. I refer you back to my use of the word "sham." What, pray tell, ever happened to the concept of punishment. Punishment defined as hearing a cell door slam behind you. The deputy district attorney in this case might want to consider becoming a "former" deputy district attorney and, therefore, qualified to give incisive views of the criminal justice system.

[tw]

Chris Brown got off because of his celebrity...another example of
a failed government system.

[Elise]

Justice has been served. People complaining are just out for blood, which makes them no better than a criminal themselves. Just be glad he didn't get off and is paying for his crime. Five years probation is much longer than any time he'd spend behind bars. Besides, the woman who was beaten is satisfied with the punishment so let it go already.

[C.G.]

"The disposition is an insult to women. The victim in this case was, apparently, severely beaten to the point of visible wounds. This defendant now walks without a scintilla of time behind bars. One can almost hear him laugh in the background."

I wholeheartedly agree with James.

The judge and prosecutors missed an opportunity to prove that nobody is above the law and that women who are physically abused will be protected and will have their voices heard.

It really bugs me that guilty pleas are so easily traded and bargained for lesser sentences. If you're willing to admit to the crime, you should pay the reasonable consequences of that crime.

Brown should serve jail time, pay Rihanna a fine, and as part of his sentence, be required to enroll in anger management courses -- which he should pay out of his own pocket -- and volunteer at a women's shelter.

Funny. I can no longer listen to "Forever" without cringing just a little.

[frank]

this has nothing to do with Oj or black and white or brown it has to do with GREEN-if you have cash you walk, if you don't have it you don't walk...Simple...You must be able to afford a good defence attorney a defense attorney for the stars and for the rich. if this was some poor black dude out of South Central do you think he would gotten the same? He wouldv'e been in jail from day one and in State prison by now...i know someone who got 2 yrs in prison for a domestic-and he didn't even hit the woman she just said he did. he had no cash, went to jail from first court appearance-just on heresay.

[Fred]

I don’t have any big problem with the sentence but one thing seems a little “off”. Most celebrity types end up in a back room reading the paper because of the press they bring with them. How will the court insure that he actually does “hard labor” in Virginia?

[Smooth Thug]

Mr. Smiley, it doesn't matter what Rihanna did, if she did anything at all. Chris Brown should have been a man about it and walked away.

[abby0802]

No, it does not fit the crime!! Shameful! Disgusting!

Another celebrity gets away with committing a serious crime.

Not until seriously long prison time is handed out to ALL who commit violence will domestic violence become recognized as the serious crime that it is by all parties.

Some guy hearing about six months community service will not have any qualms and/or worries the next time he beats up his spouse, girlfriend, etc. Every time someone gets away with something like this, it just sets him/her to do it again -- and the next time it might be fatal.

Thanks a lot for nothing, judge! You need to be impeached and off the bench!!

[PAPIPOOH]

THIS JUDGE IS A HYPOCRIT NO GOOD.PROBABLY GOT TICKETS FOR HIS OR HER KIDS CHRIS BROWN CONCERT...NEXT TIME DONT BLAME O.J.JR FOR KILLING HER..AFTERALL THE JUDGE ALLOWS THAT FROM HAPPENING.I WAS ACCUSED OF THAT RIGHT AFTER THE O.J.FIASCO.AND I DIDNT EVEN LAY A HAND ON HER.SHE MADE ALL THAT UP CAUSE I WALKED OUT ON HER AND EVERYONE KNEW IT.INCLUDING THE JUDGE.YET HE LET THE TRIAL CONTINUE,MY PLEA BARGAIN WAS ALL THAT HE GAVE O.J JR.PLUS ONE YEAR IN JAIL OR ILL FACE UP TO 8 YRS IF IM FOUND GUILTY BY TRIAL..THANK GOD THE JURY HAD NO INTEREST OR GAIN LIKE THE JUDGE MUST BE NICE DOING FAVORS FOR CELEBRITIES,GOOD GOING JUDGE..JEEEEZ

[EJ]

As someone who has worked as an advocate for victims of domestic violence for over a decade, both in the legal system and in the shelter systems, I am glad to see people outraged at this sentence -- but the outrage should not be limited to what Chris brown got, it should be outrage that this IS typical of what a first time felony DV conviction will often result in. I see these sentences all the time. If the same assault had happened to a stranger, the sentence would probably be much longer, but we -- both as a society and as a justice system -- treat intimate partner violence differently. My hope is that the media attention this case bring is a wake up call to everyone about a serious problem affecting thousands of families every day.

The comment about an OJ in the making has merit beyond any controversy it will spark about race or class. it is a well documented fact that abusers who are not held fully accountable for their actions escalate over time. One significant predictor of potential lethality is if the abuser had previous incidents with law enforcement where they "got away with it" (whether that is avoiding arrest altogether or just getting a very light sentence).

finally, the comment that someone who is abusive should do volunteer work at a domestic violence shelter has a big problem. Shelters are confidential and SAFE locations for victims to hide from their abusers. If these abusers find out where the shelters are, where will the victims go when they need a safe place to turn?

[Jo jo]

I think Chris did the right thing by make a plea agreement
she is trouble good bye, she was the one who started it
how much u think any body can put up with. He protected her by making that agreement.

[Lady D]

I dont think the sentense is too harsh its good and I dont agree with everyone on his back. Come on get real I am sure some of us have sons.

[Lady D]

I dont think the sentense is too harsh its good and I dont agree with everyone on his back. Come on get real I am sure some of us have sons.

[differ]

When are you people going to give it a rest? He pleaded guilty, yall act like he is going to have a walk in the park and he is not.Their have been plenty of celebs who have not gone to jail and have done far worse than Chris. Brandy, R. Kelley, the list goes on. I have seen first time felons in the same situation as Chris who are not celebs get the same punishment and were first time felons. Domestic violence started way before Chris, and if every body were such advocates, they would have made a big deal about this a long time ago. It didn't start with Chris and it is not going to end with Chris. I think it has alot to do with the color of his skin, I don't care what nobody says. If he had of been a white celeb this wouldn't have been blown out of poportion, or if Rihanna had of been a regular female and not a celeb. Stop calling him O.J. and comparing him to O.J. Even Judge Judy said on Larry King Live before the second trial, "If she were the judge on the case she would give him probation and made sure ho got counseling from the best." She went on to say, "it is not a case of domestic violence, but violence. Chris and Rihanna are not married and they do not live together." But it was down played and swept under the rug. She is a judge, and she is a fair judge. All of you people act as though yall no Chris personally, and you don't. Everybody is so wrapped up in his life, ain't no telling what is going on in theirs. We all have problems, issues, and we all have done wrong, nobody is perfect, I'm sure yall don't want people that don't no anything about yall passing judgement, so stop passing judgement on him. Let him get on with his life, and hopefully fix it. I know this is going to make alot of people mad, but I don't care.

[lillinda]

I think that Brown did rhianna a favor by taking the plea because she is not as innocen as she appears. Think about your own sons and daughters here, parents have to tell their daughters that is not the right thing to do to snatch property from a man or hit him either just as well as parents need to teach their sons not to hit women. Women are just as responsible for their actions as men are. I tell my daughters, do not raise your hands to hit, slap snatch property, damage property(key his car, break his car windows etc.) in any fit of jealous rage. Because the same way you get angry, and act out this way, he can get angry and assault you because you provoked him. Any relationship where you have to question wether this man is being honest with you, needs some serious thinking over because that relationship is in trouble. We have to tell our daughters that they have to behave like a women should just as the man has to behave. I know everyone can count at least two women they know are overly jealous when their guy receives a text message or call and begin to act out in some kind of way. I know that everyone here can call to mind some woman who gets crazy and starts to assault her boyfriend if he looks at another women or even speak to one. These could be your sons. So look at tis both ways, it is not right for a man to assault a woman but please make sure women know it is not alright for them to assault a man either and then when he hits back she looks like the victum and people are not getting the whole story. Women who are battered by a man in different circumstances(an overpossesive man, one that the woman cannot get away from, a man that for no apparent reason is provoked by the woman) as rhianna are the oneswho deserve the sympathy because they did not cause the beatings, but in rhianna's case she behaved badly and this is why she should not be an image for girls to copy either. She is no role model and her career needs to suffer too. I am a woman just like she is and I would never snatch someone's cellphone because he received a text message. That phone is not mine and she should know that you cannot force anyone to love you, if he did text messages from other wome would not mean a thing.

[amr29]

kiefer goes to jail for dui!!!!
chris b beats the crap out someone and he does't go to jail!!!!
something is reallly wrong with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Me]

First of all for those of you that are downing Chris, you all need to just shut up. No one was in the car when this happend but the two of them. So no one knows what led up to him putting his hands on her. And to compare him to OJ is stupid, these are two totally diferent situations. I'm not saying what happend is ok but if you weren't there then you shouldnt say anything at all. If she is able to look past what he did and continue being in his life then let that be. What happend happend and you cant go back and change it now. GET OVER IT AND MOVER THE HELL ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sweetness]

I think that he shouldn't have had that much on the probation time. I think that they should have been a little bit more reasonable with it since it was just his first offense. It should have been at least just the days and about 6 or 7 months on probation instead of 5 years. come on! I mean it wasn't really his fault. She had at a lot to do with him hitting her also, and I am not saying that it was right or anything but still she had her part in it to, so i see no reason for her going and press charges on him like that. I dislike what she did and i stand by Christopher Brown a hundred(100) percent(%). I'll always be right there agreeing with him because i love him and I know he didn't mean it, so there was no need for nobody to be saying nothing bad about him just because he made a mistake. If they loved him before then they should still love him no matter what he has done or what he did. Thanks for allowing to me express my feelings and thoughts........

[sweetness]

THE SENTENCE WAS HORRIBLE! AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM SO LEAVE THE SITUATION ALONG!!!!!!!!! IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE THAT HAPPENED AND EVERYBODY STILL WANTS TO COMMENT ABOUT IT! LET IT GO PEOPLE AND GET OFF MY MAN'S BACK FOR ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!