Singer Chris Brown ordered by Los Angeles judge into 90 days of rehab

LOS ANGELES | A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday ordered R&B singer Chris Brown to complete a 90-day substance abuse and anger management program, capping a probation hearing that followed the Grammy winner’s assault charge in Washington, D.C., last month.

The judge also requested more information about the arrest to determine whether the 24-year-old singer had violated the terms of his probation.

Brown was placed on five years’ probation as part of his 2009 sentence for assaulting fellow R&B singer and girlfriend Rihanna. He also was ordered then to perform 180 days of community service and undergo domestic violence counseling.

In addition to the latest order for rehab, Brown will have to serve at least 24 hours of community service a week, submit to periodic drug testing and take prescribed medication, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Brandlin ordered.

The singer responded “yes” when the judge asked if he accepted the modified terms of probation.

While Brown is to remain in Los Angeles County, the judge said the performer would be allowed to travel to Washington for court dates related to the assault charge, the next of which is set for Monday.

Brown pleaded not guilty in October to misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in which police said both he and his bodyguard both punched a man in the face outside a Washington hotel, where Brown had a nightclub appearance.

The singer served a voluntary two-week stay in a rehabilitation facility for anger management after his arrest.

Brown has had several highly publicized altercations in recent years, including a brawl between his entourage and that of rapper Drake at a New York night club and a parking lot fracas with R&B singer Frank Ocean in January in West Hollywood.

Brown’s probation was revoked in May in relation to a hit-and-run traffic accident. It was reinstated in August after he agreed to complete 1,000 additional hours of community service.

In February, he was accused by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office of cutting corners in this community service sentence, which he was allowed to complete in his home state of Virginia.

Prosecutors alleged that Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service but was instead performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.

Judge Brandlin set the next probation hearing for December 16.

source: interaksyon.com

Judge refuses to dismiss car crash charges against Lindsay Lohan

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles judge refused on Friday to dismiss the reckless driving and obstruction case against actress Lindsay Lohan and said the "Mean Girls" star would stand trial later this month in connection with her 2012 car crash.

Lohan, 26, was charged with reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing police - all misdemeanors - after her Porsche luxury sports car smashed into a truck on June 8, 2012, in Santa Monica, California.

The actress, who has been in out of trouble since 2007 and had her probation revoked for a 2011 theft in which she pleaded no contest, told police she was not driving the car at the time of the accident. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At a brief hearing on Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Dabney rejected defense lawyer Mark Heller's argument that Lohan was unlawfully questioned by police following the 2012 car crash.

The judge also refused Heller's request that Lohan's trial be pushed back to the first week of April. Lohan, who was not present at the hearing, will stand trial as scheduled on March 18, Dabney ruled.

The actress faces three months to a year in jail on each misdemeanor charge if convicted, though a prison sentence is seen as unlikely in the case. Lohan also could go to jail if she is found to have violated the terms of her probation.

Earlier this week Heller told reporters that Lohan had started a new round of psychotherapy and wanted to give inspirational speeches to school kids in a bid to turn her life around.

source: interaksyon.com

Lindsay Lohan Ends Probation

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A smiling Lindsay Lohan was released on Thursday from almost five years of formal probation, and told by a Los Angeles judge to grow up and stop clubbing.

Actress Lohan, 25, who has made multiple trips to court, jail and rehab since a 2007 drunk driving and cocaine possession arrest, was praised for completing months of community service at a Los Angeles morgue and court-ordered psychotherapy.

"She has done everything that this court has asked of her," Los Angeles Superior Court judge Stephanie Sautner said. "Probation terminates today. Now."

Lohan, dressed conservatively in a powder blue pants suit and black top, let out a sigh of relief and hugged her attorney.

Although the "Mean Girls" actress will remain on informal probation until 2014 for a 2011 jewelry theft, she will not have to report regularly to court and will no longer be compelled to live in Los Angeles, as long as she stays out of trouble.

Sautner sent Lohan on her way with words of warning. "I know it is kind of hard when people are following you all over the place, but that is the life you chose. You need to live your life in a more mature way. Stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work."

"I don’t expect to see you again," Sautner added. "Goodbye and good luck."

Lohan’s once promising movie career was derailed by the 2007 arrest, years of hard partying, missed court dates and failed drug tests that saw her probation extended repeatedly.

But the former "Parent Trap" child star is now on the comeback trail. She posed for Playboy, hosted TV sketch show "Saturday Night Live," has an upcoming guest part in TV musical "Glee" and a TV movie role as screen legend Elizabeth Taylor.

On Thursday, she thanked Sautner for helping her turn her life around. "I just want to say thank you, your honor, for being fair. It has really opened a lot of doors for me."

Lohan later told celebrity website TMZ.com in a phone call that ending probation "has just been a tremendous weight that has lifted off my shoulders."

The actress, who has said that parties are no longer her thing, told TMZ she wanted to put the focus back on her acting career, adding "I have not been to a club for I can’t tell you how long."

"I am honored to be playing Elizabeth Taylor," she said of her upcoming role as the former child star. "There are a lot of similarities (in her life) that I can relate to."

source: mb.com.ph