Wanted...

[From MTV]

Bobby Brown A Wanted Man Again

Citing a failure to complete any of the conditions of his probation from a drunk-driving conviction, a judge in Georgia's DeKalb County has issued a misdemeanor arrest warrant for troubled singer Bobby Brown.

Brown, who potentially faces jail time for the alleged violations, has not been heard from or seen by deputies since the warrant was issued nearly a month ago, according to a DeKalb County sheriff's office spokesperson.

The R&B singer has failed to complete the conditions of his probation from the April 1996 arrest, which included participation in a risk-reduction program, completion of 240 hours of community service, six months of twice-weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and an order to submit to random alcohol and drug screenings, the spokesperson said. Deputies have been unable to locate Brown since the warrant was issued on July 17, despite looking for him at his Atlanta-area home and several other locations in the area.

Though it is up to the judge to decide, it is possible that such violations could result in jail time.

A spokesperson for Brown could not be reached by press time.

This is the second time this year that a warrant has been issued for Brown's arrest. A bench warrant was issued in January after the singer attended the American Music Awards in Los Angeles instead of a court appointment in DeKalb County, where he was awaiting trial for the 1996 arrest. During that incident, police stopped Brown for driving his red Mercedes erratically and he was charged with driving under the influence, speeding, failing to maintain a lane and having no proof of insurance.

In January, Brown's lawyer, Xavier Dicks, said his client's failure to appear stemmed from a scheduling conflict, since Brown had requested that the judge reconsider allowing him to travel to California for the awards show. "It'd be like asking a football player not to play the Super Bowl," Dicks said. Brown was later sentenced to eight days in jail after turning himself in to authorities (see "Bobby Brown Gets Eight-Day Sentence For Drunk Driving").

Brown was arrested in Atlanta on November 7 of last year on charges of marijuana possession, speeding and having no driver's license or proof of insurance (see "Bobby Brown Arrested For Drug Possession, Speeding"). It was at that point that authorities realized the older case had fallen through the cracks when Brown failed to show for his original court date in 1997.

The singer has not been entirely out of the public eye. He and wife Whitney Houston made a well-publicized visit to Israel in May for a spiritual retreat with the Black Hebrews sect, during which she was considering recording songs for a Christmas album (see "Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown Meet With Israeli Prime Minister").

—Gil Kaufman
 

NEWSFILE: 14 AUGUST 2003