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Chris Brown's Hit-and-Run Charge May Violate Probation

By Brett Snider, Esq. on June 25, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Singer Chris Brown was charged with a hit-and-run in Los Angeles on Tuesday in connection with a minor car accident with a Mercedes in May.

No stranger to criminal allegations, Brown is alleged to have rear-ended a Los Angeles woman's car, refused to give her his driver's license number, and gave her fake insurance information before driving away, reports TMZ.

The R&B star is already on probation for smacking around his on-again off-again girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. Will this new charge affect his probation?

Hit and 'Deuces'

The "Don't Wake Me Up" singer got a rude awakening Tuesday when prosecutors slapped him with two misdemeanors: driving without a license and hit-and-run, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Brown is alleged to have rear-ended another driver with his Range Rover, and although he stopped and exchanged information, the other driver claims the info Brown gave her before leaving was bogus.

California law requires that you do the following when an average fender bender occurs:

  • Stop the vehicle in a safe place that doesn't impede traffic,
  • Locate the other driver and/or car owner, and
  • Give the other party your driver's license and vehicle registration information.

Failing to exchange that information before you peel out shouting "Deuces!" is a misdemeanor.

Possible Probation Violation

The "No Air" duet partner Brown has been on a five-year grant of probation, reports the New York Daily News, since his 2009 beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna. This recent hit-and-run might count as a probation violation.

In most states, probation violations can occur when a probationer commits a crime, but it can also happen if the probationer:

  • Doesn't show for a court appearance or report to her probation officer,
  • Doesn't pay fines or restitution,
  • Associates with known felons,
  • Travels out of the state, or
  • Possesses guns or drugs.

Brown will likely have to appear before a judge to have the court determine whether he violated his probation in the alleged hit-and-run.

Standard in Probation Hearings

Unlike in a criminal trial where a crime has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, in a probation violation hearing, Brown's hit-and-run allegations may only need to be proven by more than a 50% likelihood.

As the prosecution proceeds, Brown's criminal defense lawyer may want to advise him to stay off social media. That's because any statements the "Next to You" singer decides to tweet about his involvement in the hit-and-run can be admissible against him.

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