He’ll do community service out of state
LAX COURTHOUSE — Rap recording artist “Young Buck” will be required to do community service in his home state of Tennessee for an alleged stabbing that took place at the November 2004 Vibe awards ceremony held at the Santa Monica Airport.
David Darnell Brown, 24, who records under the name “Young Buck,” entered a plea agreement on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Under the terms of the agreement between prosecutors and Brown’s attorney, the rapper received a sentence of three years probation and 80 hours of community service, which he may serve in Tennessee, according to court records. Superior Court Judge James Brandlin approved the terms of the agreement.
At the judge’s discretion, a criminal convicted in California need not perform community service in the place where a crime is committed as long as the service is completed, attorneys said.
Brown had been charged with one count of assault with a deadly weapon by means likely to produce great bodily injury, according to Deputy District Attorney Hamid Towfigh, who prosecuted the case.
Brown surrendered to authorities in Santa Monica days after the incident and was freed on $500,000 bail. If convicted, he faced up to eight years in state prison.
Brown was suspected of stabbing Jimmy James Johnson, 26, after Johnson allegedly punched rap star and record producer Dr. Dre in the face after requesting an autograph. Dr. Dre’s real name is Andre Young.
The attack spurred a chair-throwing melee that spread throughout the crowd. Young was attending the Nov. 15 ceremony at the Barker Hangar to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Roger Rosen, Brown’s former attorney, had said Brown was at home when the stabbing took place. Several video-tapes of the chaos reveal that three men were seen holding knives, one of whom was identified by police as Brown. At one point in the videos, Brown is allegedly seen lunging over another man and swinging the knife at Johnson while he was looking away, according to police.
Leonard Levine, Brown’s current attorney, said he was satisfied with the terms of the plea agreement.
“It was fair and reasonable,” Levine said. A native of Nashville, Tenn., Brown is a member of 50 Cent’s G-Unit group, which is part of Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label. He released his first major solo album, “Straight Outta Ca$hville,” in August.
On Sept. 14, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, according to Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the DA’s office. Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner sentenced Johnson to a one-year prison term in county jail, followed by three years of probation. He also was ordered to stay away from Dr. Dre.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 14, 2005. Read the original PDF.