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Bobby Brown apologizes, ordered to serve more time in jail
submitted by: Rodney W., BJ, Sherri, Greg, Lisa D.
source: Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 11alive.com, Associated Press, Reuters
Date: August 27, 2003
By DAVID SIMPSON
Singer Bobby Brown apologized to a DeKalb County judge Wednesday and agreed to spend a few more days in jail for violating probation on a drunken driving conviction.
"Judge, I really apologize to you for being back in your court and taking up your time," Brown told State Court Judge Wayne Purdom. Brown stood before the judge wearing the standard orange uniform issued to DeKalb jail inmates.
Brown was sentenced to 14 days in jail, but he could be released as early as Friday with credit for the time he already had served and with "good time" credit he can earn by working as a jail "trusty," said DeKalb Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mikki Jones.
Brown, who has a Lawrenceville address, served five days in jail in January after pleading guilty to the 1996 drunken driving charge. He was arrested again Friday night at an Alpharetta restaurant. Purdom had signed an arrest warrant because Brown's probation officer said he failed to fulfill several probation requirements, including attending counseling and performing community service.
DeKalb Assistant Solicitor Courtney Johnson recommended Brown serve 60 days in jail.
Brown's lawyers told Purdom that Brown attended Alcoholics Anonymous classes and performed community service but had failed to inform his probation officer of those activities, partly because of his grief over the deaths of several relatives.
Purdom noted Brown's community service was done at a California center that frequently helps entertainers even though he had been ordered to do the work in Georgia. He gave Brown credit for half of that service and warned him to perform the rest of his service requirement in Georgia.
Brown's attorney, Maurice Bennett, asked Purdom to release Brown on the condition that he undergo an alcohol abuse assessment at an area hospital and enter either in-patient or out-patient care at the recommendation of doctors there. Purdom added a 14-day jail sentence before the hospital visit and 60 days of house arrest after any in-patient care.
Brown agreed to those terms to avoid facing a longer jail sentence with no probation requirements. He will be given credit for the time he has served since Friday. DeKalb inmates normally receive credit for good behavior which would reduce his jail stay.
Brown's wife, singer Whitney Houston, arrived late for the hearing. Soon after, her cellphone went off with the sound of a chicken squawking. She answered it, telling her caller, "I'm in court, what do you want?" The judge appeared to take no notice, but his bailiff cautioned the audience at the next recess to silence their phones.
Brown Sentenced, Whitney Attends
By Denis O'Hayer
Entertainer Bobby Brown will spend nine more days in jail for violating the terms of his probation on a 1996 drunk driving conviction, a DeKalb County judge ruled Wednesday.
Brown failed to appear for a random drug test, community service, and for drug and alcohol counseling after his conviction last January.
The original 14-day sentence was reduced to nine because of the five days Brown has spent at the DeKalb jail since police arrested him last Friday, according to Judge Wayne Purdom. A caller to 911 alerted police to Brown's presence at a seafood restaurant in Alpharetta.
Brown is also required to observe the other stipulations of the sentence he received after a DeKalb County jury convicted him. Those are:
* Attending Peachford Behavioral Systems for assessment
* Possible treatment for drug and alcohol abuse
* House arrest for 60 days
* 200 hours of community service to be performed in Georgia
Brown's wife -- Grammy-award winning Whitney Houston -- arrived at the DeKalb County Courthouse about 9 a.m., little more than an hour after police escorted Brown into the building. Brown's hearing had already started when she arrived.
Police records show Houston had not visited her husband in jail since his incarceration last week.
The assistant solicitor asked Judge Purdom to sentence Brown to 60 days in jail.
"Mr. Brown has been given opportunity after opportunity. Our position is that probation is a privilege, it's an opportunity to fulfill the requirements and obligations set forth by this court," said Courtney Johnson.
Appealing on his own behalf to Judge Purdom, Brown said, "Judge, I really apologize for being back in your court and taking up your time and the time of the people of Decatur."
"I don't have a reason, ya know? I'm a human being and still mourning the passing of my sisters, and I really don't have much to say. I really just apologize to you and to you and also to the people of Atlanta, Georgia. That's it. Thank you," he said, addressing part of that apology to his probation officer.
A representative for the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., also appealed to the judge prior to sentencing.
"On behalf of [the church], I would like that the court would accept a letter indicating that we would like for Mr. Brown to do 60 hours of his community service at New Birth," he said.
"We envision him not only talking to our young people, but also working in our actual video ministry. We feel he could be a great help to us and Bishop Long would be counseling him spiritually."
While he spoke, Houston took a call on her cell phone, which rang with the sound of a clucking chicken. She ducked her head below the bench while talking. She raised her head when she finished the call and mouthed "I'm sorry" to the judge.
Judge Purdom refused to amend Brown's community service, saying "until you've completed at least half of your community service, I'm not interesting in considering any of those possibilities."
Purdom said if he sees Brown in his courtroom again, he'll serve six months in jail.
Outside the courtroom, Houston said she told her husband, "Stay strong, baby. I got your back."
Brown still must face charges in Atlanta for an arrest in November on charges of possessing marijuana, speeding, and having no driver's license or proof of insurance.
Bobby Brown to Spend 9 More Days in Jail
By SAMIRA JAFARI
DECATUR, Ga. - Bobby Brown will serve nine more days in jail after being arrested for allegedly violating his probation from an earlier drunken driving conviction, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
The jail time will be followed by 60 days of house arrest, DeKalb County State Court Judge Wayne Purdom decided.
During the hearing, the singer told the judge: "I apologize for being back in your court and taking your time. I have no reason, I am a human being."
Brown, 33, was ordered to undergo another drug assessment and sentenced to a total of 14 days in the DeKalb County Jail. But the judge credited Brown for the five days he's already spent behind bars since his arrest Friday.
His wife, Whitney Houston, arrived halfway through the hearing and sat two rows behind Brown, answering a cell phone call during defense attorney Maurice Bennett's presentation. Afterward, the Grammy-winning singer and actress told reporters that she told Brown to "stay strong, baby."
Brown, a former member of New Edition whose solo hits include "My Prerogative," was arrested in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta last week at a seafood restaurant, where he was dining with his wife.
Although authorities said Houston angrily confronted police during her husband's arrest, she appeared calm in court Wednesday, hugging and kissing him to show support.
Authorities say Brown was arrested because he failed to show up for a court appearance.
Brown's lawyers said he failed to check in with a probation officer because he was suffering from an elbow injury in July that kept him bedridden and was mourning the loss of seven family members.
They contended that he had complied with a court order and completed 80 hours of community service in California. But the judge said Brown will get credit for only 40 hours because the order specified the service was to be done in Georgia.
Prosecutors called Brown a repeat offender and recommended more jail time for the Alpharetta resident. In January, Brown, 33, was sentenced to eight days in jail and ordered not to drive for a year after pleading guilty to a 1996 drunken driving charge in DeKalb County.
Last November, Brown was arrested in Atlanta on charges of possessing less than an ounce of marijuana, speeding and having no driver's license or proof of insurance. He also did a 26-day stint in a Florida jail in 2000 for a previous probation violation.
After Wednesday's hearing, Houston told reporters that she was pleased with the judge's decision.
Singer Brown Ordered Jailed on Probation Violation
ATLANTA - Entertainer Bobby Brown was ordered to serve nine additional days in jail on Wednesday for violating his probation from a drunken driving conviction.
The singer appeared in a DeKalb County court wearing an orange jail uniform. He had been in custody since Friday night, when he was arrested at a suburban Atlanta restaurant while dining with his wife, pop diva Whitney Houston.
Judge Wayne Purdom ordered Brown to serve 14 days of jail time, with credit for five days already served. Purdom also said Brown must be under house arrest for 60 days after any substance abuse treatment and complete community service in Georgia. He also ordered Brown not to drive.
Purdom warned of harsher consequences if Brown failed to fulfill terms of the probation. "If you come back to court, you'll be sentenced to 120 days and you'll probably serve 90," Purdom said.
Brown, who has a history of run-ins with the law dating back to his youth in Boston, apologized to the judge. He could be released early under a jail policy that cuts sentences for good behavior.
An arrest warrant had been issued for Brown after his probation officer said the singer failed to meet the terms of his probation. Brown's lawyers told the court he had attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and performed community service but hadn't told his probation officer.
Brown was jailed in January after he pleaded guilty to a 1996 drunken driving charge in DeKalb County. At that time, Brown was also ordered to perform community service and pay a fine.
The singer, whose hit songs include "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step," was held in a Florida jail for 26 days in 2000 for violating probation after an incident at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. That same year, he pleaded no contest to charges of kicking a hotel security guard in West Hollywood, California.
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