Singer Chris Brown appeared in court on domestic violence charges

Chris Brown briefly appeared in court Thursday, hours after he was charged with two felonies stemming from what a police detective describes as a brutal argument between the singer and his girlfriend, Rihanna.
Brown, 19, did not enter a plea, and his arraignment was delayed until April 6. But the commissioner issued a protective order against the singer, saying, "Mr. Brown, you are not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone."
Brown, wearing a three-piece gray pinstripe suit with gray tie and cream shirt, clasped his hands behind his back as he walked into the courtroom. He answered a few questions from the commissioner as his mother watched from the front row along with a group of family members.
Rihanna, 21, did not attend the five-minute session, but her lawyer, Donald Etra, was in court. He did not request a more restrictive order that Brown stay away from her. The couple have reconciled since her alleged beating.
Asked on the way out of the courtroom how Rihanna was holding up, Etra said, "She's doing great. She is making sure her rights are being protected at every stage of the proceedings." As for why Rihanna didn't want a stay-away order, he said, "She did not feel a stay-away order was necessary."
The L.A. District Attorney's Office announced earlier Thursday that Brown was being charged with two felonies – assault and making criminal threats – in the alleged beating Rihanna last month.

If convicted, Brown faces anywhere from probation to a maximum four years and eight months in state prison, DA spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said.
According to a detective's affidavit, Brown and Rihanna got into a fight early Feb. 8 after she checked her boyfriend's cell phone and found a text message from another woman.
Brown pulled his car over and tried to push Rihanna out, but she was still wearing her seatbelt, Los Angeles police Detective De Shon Andrews wrote. Brown pushed Rihanna's head against the window, punched her with his right hand, and then continued driving while hitting her, the affidavit states. He also bit his girlfriend on the ear, the affidavit states.
The affidavit was filed as part of a search warrant request for the phone records of Brown, Rihanna and her assistant.
Brown allegedly threatened to kill Rihanna after she pretended to leave a phone message with her assistant, telling her to have the police waiting at her house.
Andrews described Brown's blows as causing Rihanna's mouth to fill with blood. He also writes that Brown tried to choke Rihanna after she took the keys to his car away. Andrews wrote that Rihanna nearly lost consciousness but also tried to fight back while in the car, at one point trying to gouge at Brown's eyes.

Brown was arrested hours later and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats. Her identity has been an open secret since the alleged attack; police have never publicly released her name, but numerous news outlets have reported her identity based on anonymous sources.
Brown issued a statement a week after the incident saying that he was "sorry and saddened" about the incident. Rihanna also later issued a statement, saying she wouldn't comment on the alleged beating at the request of authorities. She thanked fans for their support.

Etra said he was present in court to protect Rihanna's rights in the criminal case. He stood alongside Brown's attorney during the hearing.
He said after the hearing Rihanna appreciates the "overwhelming support" the singer has received from fans worldwide.
He brushed aside questions seeking details about the fight, telling reporters, "The facts of the case will come out over time."