With less than a week before a scheduled public airing of allegations that Chris Brown brutally assaulted Rihanna, the R&B singer is seeking a postponement of the proceeding from the state Supreme Court.
A lawyer for Brown filed papers Friday asking that the high court delay the Monday preliminary hearing in order to consider whether the singer should have access to police personnel records in advance of the proceeding.
Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, contends the files could be important in his cross-examination of police witnesses concerning the leak of a photo of Rihanna to the gossip site TMZ.com.
The judge set to preside over the hearing has refused to order police to hand over the files, saying the law allows the defense to request that information 30 days before the trial. An appellate court declined to intervene in the case last week.
The state Supreme Court justices have not yet taken action on Brown’s appeal. According to a court spokeswoman, the court could take the case, decline to do so or let the preliminary hearing date come and go without comment.
L.A. County Superior Court officials are preparing to accommodate scores of reporters, photographers and television crews expected to descend on the downtown courthouse for the hearing. Among the issues left to be determined is whether the proceedings, which could see Rihanna take the stand against Brown, will be televised.
An attorney for Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, said the pop star is still considering whether she wants cameras in the courtroom.
“I don’t have a definitive answer at this time,” said lawyer Donald Etra.
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