Judge: Chris Brown's hard labor going 'really well'

Brown, who dated Rihanna for a year until the assault incident in February (09), was arrested on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles on suspicion of making criminal threats against Rihanna after a late-night dispute.

In the violent incident that occurred on the eve of their scheduled appearance at the Grammy Awards, the 20-year-old singer had attacked his then girlfriend, the Barbados-born R&B singer Rihanna.

Brown was sentenced in August (09) to five years' probation and 180 days of community labor for the assault. The star was also ordered to undergo 52-week domestic violence counseling program.

Brown’s probation going well
On Thursday (Feb. 18), Brown appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court for a progress report hearing stemming from the plea deal he agreed to for assaulting Rihanna last year.

Dressed in a black, military-style jacket and gray jeans, the singer listened silently as the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg went over papers from authorities in the singer’s native Virginia detailing his progress.

Apparently pleased with Brown's progress six months after he was sentenced for his felony assault on his then girlfriend, Judge Patricia Schnegg praised the bespectacled singer for his efforts to fulfill the terms of his sentence, reports People.

"Looks like you're doing really, really well [fulfilling your probation terms]. That's always good to see," Schnegg told the entertainer during the progress hearing that lasted less than two minutes.

According to People.com, Brown has completed 17 out of 52 domestic violence classes and 32 of the 180 days of community labor without missing one.

“You haven’t missed one. You are participating and doing a very good job,” the judge told the performer.

The Chris-Rihanna saga
The Chris Brown-Rihanna saga began after the two got embroiled in a heated argument inside a rented Lamborghini after a pre-Grammy party last year. During the altercation that began around 12:30 a.m. Feb. 8, 2009, Brown left Rihanna bruised and bloodied. He later apologized publicly for the assault.

Brown pleaded guilty on June 22, 2009, and was sentenced on Aug. 25 to five years probation and six months of community labor, including highway cleanup, litter removal or other such work.

His community labor has been supervised by a probation office in Richmond, Virginia. He is due back in court May 11.