Rihanna Gets Served; Chris Brown Hearing on For June 22

Chris Brown may be back in the public eye more often lately, but the singer has yet to find a way to get rid of that pesky court case hanging over his head.

Seeking to have Brown's felony assault charges thrown out, attorney Mark Geragos requested, and was denied a postponement of his preliminary hearing.

Geragos wanted a hold on the case, claiming the disturbing, leaked police photo of Rihanna's bruised face, obtained by TMZ, compromises Brown's defense.

He had requested access to records of the police's internal investigation, even though per current law, Geragos is only allowed access to the LAPD's records after the preliminary hearing ... which he's trying his hardest to delay.

The California appeals court shot down Geragos' request without giving a reason, and the preliminary hearing is still on schedule for June 22.

The preliminary hearing will determine whether the case against Brown, who has been receiving death threats, goes to trial.

If it does, Rihanna will testify, as we reported last month.

"If the preliminary hearing goes forward, she is legally required to be there, and will answer all questions truthfully," her attorney, Donald Etra, said.

Los Angeles prosecutors have already subpoenaed Rihanna to appear in court to testify in the assault case against her ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown.

The "Umbrella" singer was served with the subpoena in person Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles, summoning her to the June 22 preliminary hearing in court.

If it gets to that point, Rihanna will also be subject to cross-examination by Geragos. The felony case could end any time with a plea bargain, making the hearing unnecessary, but the chances of that happening are unclear.

Brown has actively sought a plea for months, hoping to avoid jail time. The fact it has reached this stage suggests the sides are not too close to an agreement.

If Rihanna does end up testifying, it "can make or break the case," says L.A. criminal defense attorney Jeffery Rubenstein, who is not involved with the case.

"Rihanna's willingness to testify and be truthful about what happened is a step closer to convicting Brown. On the other hand, if prosecutors fail to present a case, Geragos can seek to dismiss or reduce the charges on the spot."

Regardless, he might want to tell Chris to rethink is PR strategy.