Chris Brown has once again been granted a big break.
A judge has reduced the felony assault charge resulting from a weekend scuffle to a misdemeanor. Brown then pled not guilty.
The felony charge against his bodyguard was also reduced to a misdemeanor, according to TMZ.
Brown and his bodyguard were arrested Sunday morning and charged with felony assault, according to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.
The singer and bodyguard Christopher Hollosy were allegedly involved in an altercation with another man outside the W Hotel at 4:25 a.m., the police said.
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The alleged victim was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries, police spokesman Anthony Clay told CNN.
Brown, 24, was in Washington to host a “homecoming party” at The Park at Fourteen nightclub Saturday night, according to his Twitter feed. The arrest was made just four blocks away from the venue.
Hollosy, 35, also was arrested on felony assault charges. Both Brown and Hollosy would be held until Monday, the police said.
Brown is on probation in California for a felony domestic violence conviction involving his former girlfriend Rihanna. Any arrest could be considered a violation of that probation, which could mean jail time.
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Brown was arrested for assault in February 2009 for punching Rihanna inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street on the eve of the Grammy Awards. He was sentenced to five years probation and 1,400 hours of community service after pleading guilty.
More problems arose last year, when authorities questioned whether he had really completed the required service, which he claimed to have performed in his home state of Virginia. He was also involved in a hit-and-run car crash.
Subsequently, his lawyers reached a deal with prosecutors that required him to perform another 1,000 hours of community service in return for their dropping efforts to revoke probation. That deal required him to stay out of legal trouble, and regardless of what happens with these charges, the arrest will be viewed as a violation.