Chris Brown was due to be sentenced yesterday, after pleading guilty last month to assaulting his former girlfriend Rihanna back in February. He will now receive his sentence on 27 Aug, as the judge in the case wants to give him a harder sentence that the one originally agreed in a plea deal.
As previously reported, as part of a plea deal in exchange for saying he was guilty, Brown was offered a sentence of five years probation, 180 days of community service, 52 weeks of domestic violence counselling and a fine. However, Judge Patricia Snegg thinks that is too light, and wants to increase the community service to 1400 hours. She has delayed the sentencing while she awaits specific documents from the State of Virginia explaining exactly what and how much work Brown will be doing.
Rihanna and her legal team, meanwhile, are backing a relaxation of the court order banning Chris Brown from coming within 50 yards of her, something which will also be decided on when Brown is sentenced.
Brown is currently under orders not to communicate with Rihanna or come within 50 yards of her, unless they are at the same event, in which case he can get within ten yards. However, Rihanna's lawyer Donald Etra told People: "If asked, we will tell the court that all that's necessary is a level-one order: that Brown not annoy, molest or harass her. No stay-away order was ever requested by Rihanna, nor did she ever believe it was necessary".
At an earlier hearing, Judge Schnegg said she would consider a less restrictive order, which would allow the pair to come into contact with each other. This has, of course, lead to rumours that the former couple are back together again, or are planning to be. Although asked by People if this was the case, Etra refused to make any comment.