Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in Washington, DC. The plea, entered Tuesday, September 2, 2014, resolves the case stemming from a fight outside the W Hotel in October 2013, and he will not face additional jail time, according to the Washington Post and Fox News.
Prosecutors said Brown and his bodyguard, Christopher, struck a man named Parker after Parker tried to take a picture with the singer near Brown’s tour bus following a Howard University homecoming party. The Washington Post reported that prosecutors agreed not to seek jail time in exchange for the plea. Fox News reported that Brown was sentenced to time served, which covers the two days he spent in a DC jail on this case.
When given a chance to speak in court, Brown said, “I’m sorry.” His attorney, Danny Onorato, told the court that Brown had already been punished heavily, pointing to his time in a California jail and months of inpatient counseling, and said Brown wanted to take responsibility so he could get back to work, including a tour for a new album.
Brown’s bodyguard was found guilty of misdemeanor assault after a two day trial in April. Brown’s own trial had been scheduled for later that month but was delayed.
Brown is not completely in the clear. Parker has filed a $1.5 million civil lawsuit against both men, and his attorney says he suffered a broken nose and other facial injuries. Fox News also reported that because Brown was on probation in California at the time of the incident, the outcome in Washington could affect that case.
