The Oscar Pistorius trial is on hiatus in South Africa until May 5. Meanwhile the Chris Brown trial starts in a Washington, D.C. courtroom on April 21. Although both cases are miles apart, in reality, they may be closer than one might think, in terms of anger management and violence. Oscar Pistorius is on trial for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp who in texts professed her fear of him due to his anger and temper. And Brown is in DC and faces jail time on his 2009 probation case for assaulting then girlfriend Rihanna, if convicted in the D.C. assault case. These 20 something young men appear notorious now for their tempers.
Chris Brown’s D.C. case stems from an incident on October 26, 2013 when he allegedly assaulted a man who photo bombed a photo that Brown was taking with two women. The 20 year old victim allegedly sustained a broken nose. In November, Brown was ordered to 90 days at a residential anger management facility stemming from his issues resulting from shattering his mother’s car window with a rock and his probation case. Before he could complete the 90 days, his anger management stay was halted when he violated the rules of the facility. And now he’s in DC tomorrow facing assault charges before Superior Court Judge Patricia Wynn. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 180 days and a $1,000 fine. The alleged victim has also filed a $3 million civil lawsuit.
Chris Brown denies the assault charges. And when he enters D.C. Superior Court, he will be presumed to be innocent. And the probation case involving Rihanna will have no impact on the trial. Ditto for his incident involving his mother’s vehicle—as long as he does not take the stand in his defense. If he does take the stand, which is unlikely, the prosecutor could cross examine Brown on his anger issues to show his character.
Brown and Pistorius appear to be consumed with anger issues. And both need to get help. For Pistorius, it may too late if he is convicted in the killing of Reeva Steenkamp. He could face years in jail. For Chris Brown, these cases and incidents may be the tip of the iceberg. Anger management issues are not a laughing matter. And these issues are not to be ignored. For Brown, I hope that he will get the help that he needs. Society has a way of looking the other way when it comes to entertainers and celebrities. Tomorrow as in the past in D.C. and elsewhere, Brown’s fans will flock to court to get a glimpse of him in court. Chris Brown is not performing in a court room tomorrow. He is appearing as any other defendant accused of a crime. And he should be treated the same way. And if convicted, I hope that a Judge once again will require that he get anger management help. Who knows maybe the third time will be the charm.