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Rihanna is scheduled to take the stand this afternoon during ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's preliminary hearing, where the R&B singer is facing felony charges of assault and making criminal threats. Of course, this all stems from the incident that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, February 8 where Chris allegedly beat up Rihanna so severely she wound up in the hospital.

Legal experts tell MTV News that Chris is expected to plead the fifth and not testify, while Rihanna has been subpoenaed by the prosecution and is likely to be questioned about the events of that night. Though Rihanna is legally required to appear in court, she cannot be forced to testify, and if she appears credible on the stand, it could prompt Chris' legal team to accept a plea deal to avoid a trial, which could include jail time. However, if Rihanna's testimony seems unreliable and prosecutors fail to prove that they have a case, Brown's lawyer Mark Geragos could ask for the two felony charges to be reduced or even (gasp!) dismissed on the spot.

However, even without her testimony, it appears as though there may be enough evidence to take Chris' case to trial. The graphic photo taken of Rihanna immediately after the incident, along with the statement that Chris threatened to kill her (not to mention Rihanna being hospitalized) is all information that could land the prosecution a trial date.

If the judge rules that the next step in the process is a trial by jury, Brown will likely have thirty days before he will be arraigned again. During that process, Chris will be "held to answer," meaning he would be required to enter a plea once again - Brown previously pleaded not guilty at his first arraignment.

Think Chris will be able to beat the system? Or will he get properly punished for what he did? And will Rihanna actually testify?

Stay tuned to X17online.com - we will be streaming live from the courthouse at 1:00pm PST...you won't want to miss it!