AceShowbiz - Chris Brown is requesting that a judge prevent any discussion of his 2009 domestic violence conviction involving Rihanna during an upcoming legal battle concerning a dog attack.

The trial is scheduled to start this June and centers on a lawsuit filed by Maria Avila. She alleges that in 2020, while cleaning Chris Brown’s residence in the Los Angeles area, she was severely bitten by Brown’s 200-pound dog named Hades. Avila claims the dog “viciously and brutally mauled” her, resulting in serious injuries. She is pursuing financial compensation from Brown, who denies responsibility for the incident.

With the trial date approaching, attorneys for both parties are debating what evidence will be permitted before the jury. The legal team representing Brown has filed motions to exclude any mention of his prior domestic violence record, specifically his felony plea connected to the assault on Rihanna in 2009.

In their pretrial motion submitted in January, lawyers Michael Schonbuch and Abigail Morelli argued that allowing the jury to hear about these past domestic violence incidents would unfairly bias the jury. They stated that such information would prompt jurors to decide based on character or emotion rather than the facts and the law relevant to the dog bite case.

Additionally, Brown’s attorneys requested that the judge also exclude evidence related to his ongoing criminal case in the U.K., where he faces allegations of assaulting a music producer with a bottle at a London nightclub. The defense contends that referencing these charges—denied by Brown—would lead jurors to make improper assumptions about his character and moral standing.

Opposing these motions, Avila’s attorney Nancy Doumanian filed a response on April 27, calling the defense’s requests “overbroad, premature and legally unsound.” She argued it is too early to determine whether Brown’s criminal record will be pertinent during the trial. Doumanian suggested that such evidence might become relevant during cross-examination if the defense presents Brown or other witnesses as law-abiding or non-threatening individuals.

The judge is expected to make a ruling on these pretrial motions during a hearing scheduled for June 5. The trial itself is set to begin on June 15.

Representatives for Brown, Avila, and Rihanna did not immediately respond to requests for comment as of April 28.

Avila’s lawsuit, which also includes her husband and sister as plaintiffs, alleges that she was taking out the trash at Brown’s Tarzana home when the dog unexpectedly attacked. She describes the attack as severe, stating that Hades began “ripping off large chunks of her skin.” According to her claims, Brown witnessed the incident but fled the scene with the dog, leaving her “alone and bleeding profusely.”

Avila holds Brown responsible, arguing he should have known that the Caucasian shepherd breed—Hades’ breed—has a tendency toward unprovoked aggression. She is seeking damages to cover her "permanent and debilitating injuries," which reportedly include disfigurement of her face, scarring, vision loss, and nerve damage.

This case adds to a series of legal challenges involving Brown. The singer’s prior felony conviction related to the assault on Rihanna remains a highly sensitive topic, and his lawyers are focused on keeping it separate from the current dog bite allegations to avoid prejudicing the jury.

As the trial date nears, the court’s decisions on what evidence is admissible will be closely watched. The inclusion or exclusion of Brown’s past legal issues could significantly affect the jury’s perception and the trial’s outcome.

The dog bite case highlights ongoing legal battles faced by the R&B star, who continues to deny all allegations related to the 2020 incident. The upcoming hearing and subsequent trial will determine whether he will be held financially liable for the injuries sustained by Avila.