Chris Brown Faces Fresh Blow as Judge Signals Nearly $5m Cut to $12.9m Dog-Mauling Award

Chris Brown could see the $12.9 million (£9.7 million) damages award against him reduced by more than $5 million (£3.7 million) after a California judge signalled that he was prepared to cut the amount awarded to a housekeeper who was mauled by a dog at the singer's home.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Huey P Cotton heard arguments from Maria Avila's lawyers after a jury awarded her $12.9 million following a two-week trial in June.

The judge indicated that he was not persuaded to change his tentative order to reduce the award by almost 40 per cent, according to Yahoo News, citing Billboard.

'We can either retry it, or you can agree,' Cotton said. 'I just need a decision.'

Judge Maintains Proposed Reduction

Avila's lawyers argued against the size of the proposed reduction during the latest hearing. Her lawyer Nancy Doumanian said a reduction of almost 40 per cent would cut more than $5 million from the jury's award. She asked the judge to consider a smaller reduction.

The judge's tentative order would bring the damages down substantially from the $12.9 million awarded by the jury. However, the reduction has not yet become a final judgment. The latest development concerns the judge's tentative position following arguments from Avila's legal team.

The original award followed a trial in Los Angeles County in which both Brown and Avila gave evidence.

Maria Avila Was Attacked In 2020

Avila was attacked by a dog at Brown's home in the Tarzana neighbourhood of the San Fernando Valley on 12 December 2020. She told jurors that the attack caused severe injuries to her arm and face, as well as extensive scarring and post-traumatic stress disorder.

'I will never be the same again,' Avila told jurors, according to the report.

The jury subsequently awarded her $12.9 million in damages.

Before the trial, Brown admitted negligence under California's dog-bite statute. However, he disputed the extent of Avila's injuries and argued that she was partly responsible because she went outside alone.

Brown Sought New Trial After Verdict

Following the jury's decision, Brown's lawyers filed a motion seeking a new trial. His legal team argued that the damages award was excessive and claimed the verdict had been influenced by evidence relating to his past assault of Rihanna.

The latest hearing follows those efforts to challenge the original verdict. Avila's lawyers have also been attempting to collect the judgment from Brown.

The dispute over the amount of damages therefore remains active, with the judge yet to make the proposed reduction final.

Final Amount Has Not Been Decided

The latest development does not mean Brown will definitely pay $12.9 million or that the award has already been reduced. Instead, Judge Cotton has indicated that he is prepared to reduce the jury's award by almost 40 per cent after considering the arguments presented by Avila's lawyers.

The final figure will depend on the court's eventual ruling. For now, the case remains centred on the damages awarded after the 2020 attack and the legal challenge to the amount.

The jury's $12.9 million award remains the figure at the centre of the dispute, while the judge's tentative position indicates that the final award could be significantly lower.