Preceding Brown's court arrival was the headlines about his new tattoo that many say resembles the bruised face of Rihanna, 24. His reps deny it, saying the tattoo was modeled after a MAC Cosmetics design depicting a Mexican sugar skull.
Brown, 23, pleaded guilty to felony assault stemming from an infamous altercation with Rihanna in a rented car after they left a pre-Grammy Awards party in 2009. He was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community service.
Judge Patricia Schnegg had no interest in Brown's tattoo, but she did chastise the rapper for testing positive for marijuana use.
"You're on probation for five years, you got a few more years left under probation to me," Schnegg said. "I'm going to caution you that you should be very mindful of obeying all laws, orders and rules of the court, and rules and laws of the state of California."
Schnegg transferred his probation from Virginia to L.A. County, where Brown recently bought a home.
The judge said she would not immediately find Brown in violation of his probation for marijuana use, but she scheduled a hearing for Nov. 1 to discuss the issue, and to determine whether Brown has completed enough hours of community service.
"You know a lot of people look up to you, a lot of kids, and your conduct is important," Schnegg told Brown. "I'm going to remind you that what you do, and what you say impacts other people."
