Chris Brown Gets Off Easy -- Even Paris Hilton Got More Jail Time

June 23, 2009

In a preliminary hearing Monday, singer Chris Brown avoided jail time altogether and pled not guilty of assaulting ex-girlfriend and singer Rihanna in February. After the assault, shocking photos of Rihanna surfaced, showing her face badly swollen and bruised.

In a plea deal, Brown received no jail time -- only community service, domestic violence counseling, and five years of supervised probation for the felony assault charge.

"Even Paris Hilton got more jail time!" said NOW President Kim Gandy. "Young girls and boys watching this unfold on TV will see that men who commit violence against women practically go scot-free," said Gandy.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg also issued a stay-away order against Brown, which means he must stay at least 50 yards from Rihanna at all times, and 10 yards if they are together at an event. Then, Judge Schnegg told Rihanna that the stay away order was just as much for Rihanna as it was for Brown -- an insulting twist that is unfortunately all too common in domestic violence cases.

"He beat Rihanna to a bloody pulp, and she's ordered to stay away from him? That tells us something about the way courts treat violence against women," said Gandy.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Lisa Bennett, 202-628-8669, ext. 123; cell 301-537-7429

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