Chris Brown was just charged with hit and run and driving without a valid license after he crashed his Range Rover into a Mercedes in the Toluca Lake area of the San Fernando Valley. The bad news for Chris is that this is a potential violation of his grant of probation stemming from his conviction for domestic battery in 2009. Commenting on the prosecution, a spokesman from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office said they will forward the information about Brown’s prosecution to the Los Angeles County District Attorney. The DA can decide for himself if he will seek to violate Brown’s probation.The new misdemeanor charges carry a maximum possible punishment of 6 months in jail. However, convicted or not, Brown faces a potential prison term or at least time in the county jail for violating his felony probation.
Often, misdemeanor hit and run offenses can be resolved without sustaining a conviction for any crime. By reaching a civil compromise with the victim, the defendant can be discharged from the criminal case and walk away without any punishment. The problem in Brown’s case is that he can be found in violation of probation even if he is not actually convicted of a new crime. While on probation he is obligated to obey all laws, rules and orders of the court. The District Attorney could seek to prove that he is in violation even if the new misdemeanor is not charged as a crime.
Chris, please talk to a lawyer about your situation. A good lawyer may be worth his or her wait in gold to you right about now. Good luck.
If you have questions about hit and run, probation violations, driving without a valid license or any other criminal law matter, call me, Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (888) 764-4340 or email at: vallenslaw@yahoo.com
Please visit my sites for more information: www.4criminaldefense.com or www.westlakecriminaldefense.com