Chris Brown's arraignment postponed

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Brown briefly appeared in court, 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’s arraignment was postponed until April 6 on charges of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. The 19-year-old R&B singer remains free on $50,000 bail.

A court commissioner ordered him not to harass, threaten or harm anyone. At the request of Donald Etra, an attorney representing Rihanna, the commissioner did not order Brown to stay away from her.

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.

Details released recently offer a starkly different portrait of Brown than the squeaky-clean image he has cultivated. The young man once praised for his Michael Jackson-esque dance moves is described in a detective’s affidavit as punching his girlfriend, biting her ear and trying to choke her until she nearly lost consciousness.

He rose to fame after the 2005 hit Run It! and his popularity has only grown. He was nominated for a Grammy for No Air with Jordin Sparks and named Billboard’s top artist in 2008.

His arrest prompted an exodus of sponsors and a retreat into secrecy for both Brown and Rihanna. The couple were among the marquee names scheduled to appear and perform at the Grammys Feb. 8, but the alleged attack forced both to cancel their appearances.