Chris Brown‘s ongoing civil trial over a 2020 dog attack at his Los Angeles home has been thrown into disarray after a judge declared a mistrial due to juror misconduct.
Judge Huey P. Cotton dismissed the jury after discovering that one juror had violated court instructions by conducting online research about the case and sharing that information with fellow jurors. Addressing the court, the judge said the breach left him with no choice but to restart proceedings, with a new jury set to be selected from an existing pool.
The mistrial comes as Brown was preparing to testify in the high-profile case, which stems from allegations that his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, was severely injured by his security dog, Hades, while working at his Los Angeles property in December 2020.
Ahead of the trial, Brown accepted partial responsibility for the incident after years of disputing the claims. His legal team has argued that the central issue is no longer whether Avila suffered damages, but rather how much compensation should be awarded and whether additional family members are entitled to recover damages.
Avila alleges the massive dog attacked her without warning as she stepped outside to take out the trash, leaving her with devastating injuries. In her lawsuit, she claims the dog tore flesh and bone from her face and arm, resulting in permanent disfigurement, nerve damage and vision loss. She further alleges that Brown stood nearby speaking on his phone before leaving the scene while she remained injured in the driveway.
During previous testimony, Avila described the terrifying ordeal, saying she never saw the dog approach and only felt the attack. Her sister, Patricia, also testified that she found Avila covered in blood and believed she was dying as she held her in her arms.
However, Brown offered a different account of events, as he stated in a pretrial deposition, explaining he was upstairs when he heard Hades growling and rushed downstairs to investigate. He testified that he found Avila face down on the ground, checked to ensure she was breathing, secured the dogs and alerted security. Brown denied seeing any blood and said he left only after being informed that paramedics were on the way.
The dog, a Caucasian Shepherd also known as a Central Asian Ovcharka, was later removed from the property, abandoned in Humboldt County by a security guard and ultimately euthanized by authorities.
The court previously ruled that Brown’s 2009 felony assault conviction involving Rihanna could not be mentioned during the trial, deeming it irrelevant to the dog attack case. Several prospective jurors were nevertheless dismissed after admitting they could not remain impartial due to their knowledge of Brown’s past legal troubles.
The trial is now set to restart with a newly selected jury, while Brown has also requested a brief delay in proceedings to visit his newborn son, who was born in April with partner Jada Wallace.
Source: Rolling Stone.
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