Chris Brown’s attorneys are trying to work out a plea deal with prosecutors that will ensure that their 19 year-old client doesn’t get jail time for the brutal beating of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in February. Brown could get off on a technicality though and may not even receive community service or probation. Lawyers for the defense may call for a mistrial due to the leaked photo that showed the horrific extent of Rihanna’s injuries. Right now they’re waiting to see the results of an internal police investigation as to how the photo got out. If it turns out that the photo was leaked due to police misconduct Brown’s attorneys will ask that the case be dismissed:

Will Rihanna’s leaked police photo drain the life from the prosecution’s case against Chris Brown?
If Brown attorney Mark Geragos has his way, it will.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg today set a preliminary hearing for May 28 on Brown’s double felony case—the result of Geragos pushing for as late a court date as possible to allow him adequate time to respond to the still-pending investigation into just how Rihanna’s police photo was released.
Should the gruesome photos’ appearance prove to be the result of a police transgression, Geragos told E! News that he will move to have Brown’s entire case dismissed.

“The leaks can form the basis for a motion to dismiss the case in regards to outrageous governmental misconduct,” Geragos said.

Neither Rihanna nor Brown were present for today’s hearing, though the “Umbrella” singer’s interests—and those of her jewelers—were represented in the courtroom.

[From E! Online]

TMZ released that photo, and founder Harvey Levin outrageously defended making it public by saying he “honestly believed it was not an LAPD picture. I’m still not convinced it is.” In TMZ’s coverage of this twist in the case yesterday, they didn’t even mention the photo they obtained, and vaguely said that “leaks” could compromise the case against Brown.

Meanwhile Rihanna will finally get back the $1.4 million worth of borrowed jewelry she was wearing on the night of her attack. She had on the expensive jewelry as she was due to perform at the Grammys, the biggest event of the year for her industry, the next day. Everything was being held by the police as evidence for her case, but the judge just ruled that it can be released to her.

Rihanna’s father is now claiming that his daughter is single and that “Chris sounds like old news to me.” Rihanna and Chris have been spotted out together a few times and were most recently caught spending the night together in mid April. I hope her dad is right, but Rihanna could be keeping the news of her reconciliation with Chris from her dad, who of course doesn’t approve.

Rihanna is shown out on 4/16/09. Credit: Hellmuth Dominguez, PacificCoastNews.com. Chris Brown is shown on 4/6/09 on the day of his hearing. Credit: WENN.com