Grammy award-winning singer Chris Brown has been accused of hitting a woman in his Los Angeles house on Friday. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department stated that their officers responded to a report of argument and hitting at 19600 block of Citrus Ridge Drive in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.

The complainant alleged that she was smacked in the head by Brown during an argument in his house. The woman stated that Brown smacked her so hard that her weave fell out.

The spokesperson said that the incident was being investigated and will be referred to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office. No injuries were reported in the incident but it is not known whether any charges would be pressed against Brown.

32-year-old Brown has been surrounded by legal issues over the last few years.  He was arrested in 2009 for physical assault on his then girlfriend signer Rihanna. He received five years’ probation and a community service after he pleaded guilty to felony assault. His probation completed in 2015.

In 2017, another ex-girlfriend model and actress Karrueche Tran had asked for a restraining order against him and was granted a five year restraining order. Brown was also accused of hosting a drug-fueled orgy at his Los Angeles mansion in 2018, where two of his associates sexually assaulted a woman.

In 2019, Brown was detained in Paris for aggravated rape and drug offenses. Chris Brown is being investigated for battery, though no arrests have been made yet. This is the second time in the year when cops were called to Brown’s house.

In the month of May the cops had been called to shut down a birthday party for disturbance and incorrectly parked cars, there was a party with more than 400 people at his home.

 

Assault and Battery

Assault and battery can have a long-lasting impact on the victim even if they have not sustained serious injuries. The victim may suffer from psychological trauma or may fall into depression after an instance of assault or battery. In some scenarios, the physical battery may also cause permanent disfigurements to the victim.

Any form of physical attack on another person is considered to be assault. A person can be held liable for assault in civil court if:

  • The person intended to harm or attack another person.
  • The victim believed that they were to be personally harmed.
  • A person can be held liable without even touching the victim. As per the legal definition, any form of verbal threats is also considered as assaults.

At the same time, when a victim is harmed or injured due to physical contact it is considered as battery.

 

What is considered as Battery in California?

In California, any intentional and illicit use of force or violence upon another person is considered as Battery. For an assault charge to be filed physical contact is not necessary and a mere attempt to do so is enough. However, for a battery charge some sort of uncalled-for contact is required, irrespective of whether it causes injury or not.

 

Even a slight disrespectful or rude touch can result in a battery charge. A battery charge can attract a range of penalties like:

  • For a case of base line misdemeanor battery the guilty may have to pay penalties of up to $2000 and face up to six months in county jail.
  • If the victim is injured then the penalties may greatly increase. The charge may be considered a misdemeanor but the jail time may be increased to up to a year.
  • If the charge is raised to a felony, the guilty may face a sentence of sixteen months to three years in State prison.

 

In California, a battery felony charge falls under the Three Strikes Law. A strike on a person’s record requires the person to serve at least eighty percent of their subsequent convictions as compared to people without a strike record who need to serve at least fifty percent of a sentence. Being charged with a third felony conviction can increase the sentence up to 25 years of life in prison.

 

Assault and Battery lawyers California

For more than two decades we at Khashan Law have been representing personal injury victims in California. In civil assault and battery cases, the guilty party can be asked to pay a substantial settlement even if they are not convicted of the crime in a criminal court.

If you have been a victim of assault or battery, get in touch with our experienced lawyers today. They will help seek justice on your behalf. Contact us at 951.461.2387 for a free and confidential consultation.