Sorry, I should clarify what I have said. If someone pleads GUILTY, which Chris Brown did, there is no need for the victim to give live in court, the person pleading GUILTY by virtue of pleading GUILTY accepts the prosecution case. Or a person pleading guilty can plead guilty but dispute the prosecution version of the facts as stated by the prosecution. This might happen, say, if a person accepts slapping but not punching his girlfriend. If this happens there is a oral hearing of the evidence to determine whose versions of events should be believed. Chris Brown, in my view, pleaded guilty as the evidence was overwhelming and because he was well advised by his lawyers not to contest the case because if he had then all of the sorry, sordid details would have been aired in the public domain, which would have buried any chance he had of resurrecting a career. And the reason why I don't think Chris Brown deserves a career in music is because he has shown no remorse for what he has done...he is now seeking to justify what he did. He's a snake, who punched an innocent and beautiful woman in the face, who sports a mind boggling number of very bad tattoos.