2003: Nippy News Release Articles

Officials considering whether Brown violated probation after altercation with wife
submitted by: Eduardo, Lisa D.
source: Associated Press, Agence France Presse, MTV
Date: December 11, 2003

ATLANTA -- Authorities were investigating Thursday whether singer Bobby Brown violated his probation on a prior drunken driving conviction when he was charged with battery following an alleged fight with his wife, fellow entertainer Whitney Houston.

Kevin Batye, chief probation officer for DeKalb County, told The Associated Press that after seeking information from neighboring Fulton County, where the Brown-Houston incident occurred, his office will make a recommendation to a judge on Brown's probation. If a violation is found, it could send Brown back in jail.

Brown was charged with misdemeanor battery Wednesday, three days after he allegedly hit his singer and actress wife. He is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Jan. 7.

Last Sunday, Fulton police responded to a call by Houston to the couple's home near Alpharetta. Houston told police Brown had struck her on the left side of her face. Police said Houston had a bruised cheek and a cut inside her upper lip.

Brown remains on probation until Feb. 17, 2005, following a drunken driving conviction in January in DeKalb County, said Courtney Johnson, an attorney with the DeKalb County solicitor general's office. The charge in that case dates to 1996, but the case was not brought to court until after Brown was picked up on a bench warrant. His arrest was delayed for so long because he was outside the county.

Brown served seven days in jail in August for a violation of his probation on that case.

Brown left R&B group New Edition in the late 1980s for a solo career. His hits include "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step."

Houston and Brown have been married since 1992. They have a 10-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

Whitney Houston becomes battered wife as husband faces charges

By Maxim Kniazkov

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 -- The rocky marriage of singing sensation Whitney Houston, whose popular tunes include "Love is a Contact Sport," has suffered another jolt after her husband, singer Bobby Brown, was formally charged Wednesday with beating her in the couple's home in a posh Atlanta suburb.

Fulton County police spokesman Kurtis Young said the altercation inside the mansion near Alpharetta, Georgia, had forced the world-famous diva to plead for help in a frantic emergency call to police.

"That's why a report was filed, and that's an issue of domestic violence," Young told Fox News Channel.

A portion of the police report obtained by AFP said Houston had returned home at approximately 8:20 pm Sunday (0120 GMT Monday) and was confronted by her husband.

The reason for the argument was not mentioned, but the marriage of 11 years has had a number of rough patches before.

The report quoted Houston as saying that Brown had threatened to "beat her a.." and then struck the left side of her face with an open right hand.

"The victim had visible injuries to her face, which included a bruise on her left cheek approximately one inch in diameter and a cut upper lip," the document went on to say.

Houston told police that Brown, 34, left home five minutes later and headed for the airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles, according to the report. But it was not immediately clear whether he had actually left Georgia.

In any case, he was persuaded to turn himself in and appeared in Fulton County Magistrate Court on Wednesday to face domestic violence charges, police officials said.

"According to how the proceedings went, he did not deny anything that happened at that particular time as the charges were filed," said Young.

The police spokesman declined to say what kind of punishment Brown could face if found guilty of battery, but made clear authorities were taking the case seriously in light of evidence of bodily harm.

Houston and Brown have separately retained attorneys in apparent preparation for a legal fight, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday quoted Brown's lawyer, Maurice Bennett, as saying the couple was "trying to work it out, as we speak, as husband and wife."

Sunday's brush with the law was by far not the first for Brown.

In August he served a week in jail for a probation violation stemming from a 1996 drunk driving conviction.

The singer, who began his climb to fame in the 1980s with the rythm-and-blues group New Edition, was imprisoned for nearly a month in Florida in 2000 for another probation violation in connection with the same case.

Meanwhile, Houston's career has been plagued by admitted drug and alcohol abuse in the past.

Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown battling through new domestic fight

MIAMI, Dec 11 -- Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown are battling through their latest domestic troubles after Brown was formally charged with beating the singer, Houston's lawyer said Thursday.

"This was a very regrettable, isolated incident and Whitney remains committed to working through this situation privately with her husband," Mark Trigg, the lawyer for the 40-year-old singer, told AFP.

Brown, 34, may undergo counseling under a solution proposed by lawyers for the couple, who have had a long, troubled history, Trigg said.

The latest altercation between the two happened Sunday at their mansion near Alpharetta, Georgia. Police said Houston made an emergency call for help.

A police report said: "The victim had visible injuries to her face, which included a bruise on her left cheek approximately one inch in diameter and a cut upper lip."

Brown left the house but was persuaded to return. He appeared in Fulton County Magistrate Court on Wednesday to face domestic violence charges, police said.

Houston's lawyer said the singer had only suffered "a very small cut," which had healed by the time Brown went to court.

Trigg said Houston and Brown were determined to resolve the dispute before the next scheduled court appearance in January.

He added that lawyers for the two had already agreed to appropriate action, which included counseling. The proposal will be presented to the court in January.

"They are together and are experiencing no problems," Trigg declared.

"They left the courthouse arm in arm."

Houston and Brown married in 1992 and have a 10-year-old daughter. The marriage has been fraught with problems. Houston has admitted abusing alcohol and drugs while Brown has had past brushes with the law.

Bobby Brown Turns Himself In, Appears In Court With Whitney At His Side

Bobby Brown turned himself in on Wednesday and was charged with misdemeanor battery three days after he allegedly struck wife Whitney Houston in the face. The blow was supposedly delivered in the midst of an argument in their home during which Brown reportedly threatened to "beat her ass."

The couple appeared together at the Fulton County Magistrate's Court in Dunwoody, Georgia, according to Fulton County Police Department spokesperson Corporal Kurtis Young.

Police were still seeking Brown, 34, as of Tuesday night, when they returned to the couple's Alpharetta home and spoke to Houston a second time to see if the 40-year-old singer had heard from her husband. Brown was originally thought to have flown to California following the fight, but Young said it was unclear if he had left the state.

Brown appeared with his lawyer before a judge Wednesday afternoon and was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery under Georgia's domestic-violence law, which allows the state to file charges when domestic violence is suspected, whether or not the victim cooperates. "Once the allegation is reported, she doesn't have the option of whether or not to press charges," Young explained.

Brown was released on a signature bond and ordered to return to court on January 7. If he fails to do so, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest.

The charge of simple battery carries a sentence of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Young said a first domestic-violence offense is sometimes dismissed or suspended if the defendant enrolls in marriage or anger-management counseling. Houston, who appeared in court with a bruise visible on her left cheek, held hands with Brown while in court and the pair left with their arms around each other as Houston exclaimed, "We're still together," according to Young. Houston then sang along to the Aretha Franklin song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" as the couple drove away in their SUV.

Whitney's publicist issued a statement Wednesday from a family spokesperson that read, "Bobby Brown is very apologetic about what happened and hopes his wife forgives him."

--Gil Kaufman