Singer Bobby Brown faces trial

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston in court

Singer Bobby Brown has been told he will have to face trial for traffic charges that date from 1996.

Judge Wayne Purdom in DeKalb County, Georgia, turned down pleas for the charges to be dropped, and told Mr Brown he will have to face trial for the charges.

The 33-year-old will face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to maintain a lane, speeding and no proof of insurance, after being stopped by police six years ago.

The charges resurfaced after he was arrested two weeks ago for possessing marijuana, speeding, and driving without a licence or proof of insurance.

Brown has had several scrapes with the law

Police found there was still an outstanding warrant for the singer for his 1996 charges, because he had never showed up in court.

His defence lawyer, Xavier Dicks, asked for the older charges to be dropped because too much time had passed.

But the judge ruled the charges had no time limit and set a new date.

Mr Brown was in court with his wife, R&B singer Whitney Houston.

After the hearing, Mr Dicks said the singer believed a jury would rule in favour of him when the trial begins on 21 January.

"He feels he's getting a fair shake," he said.

Mr Brown has had several brushes with the law since his days as a teenage singing star with the US boy band New Edition and later solo success.

He was arrested for drink-driving in 1996 after he crashed his Porsche into a road sign.

He spent five days in jail in 1998 after testing positive for cocaine while he was on probation.

He was later sentenced to 75 days in jail in 2000.