Rihanna: Chris Brown may come closer to me

(People.com) -- Rihanna has said it before and she'll say it again: There's no need to keep Chris Brown half a football field away from her, no matter what he admitted to doing.

As it stands, Brown, who will be sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to assaulting the "Umbrella" singer, is under court order not to communicate with her in any way, and not to come within 50 yards of her -- 10 yards if they're both at the same event.

"If asked, we will tell the court that all that's necessary is a level-one order: That Brown not annoy, molest or harass her," Rihanna's lawyer Donald Etra tells PEOPLE. "No stay-away order was ever requested by Rihanna, nor did she ever believe it was necessary."

It will be up to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg whether to ease restrictions between Brown, 20, and Rihanna, 21. At the last hearing, Schnegg said she'd consider Rihanna's request for a less-restrictive order, which could allow the pair to be together.

Etra wouldn't comment on whether the singers are still romantically involved. Rihanna will not be attending the hearing. Brown is required to be there.

Brown is expected to be sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor to be served in Virginia. He will also complete a year of domestic violence classes and pay fines. In exchange, a second felony charge of making criminal threats is expected to be dropped.

Last month, Brown publicly apologized for the incident, saying, "I have told Rihanna countless times, and I am telling you today, that I am truly sorry and that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better."

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