[03 24 10] Justin Bieber Goes to Bat for Busted Manager

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Justin Bieber is ready to fight the power.

The teen YouTube sensation turned pop superstar is standing by his manager, who was busted today for his role in a stampede during a promotion appearance by the 16-year-old singer at a Long Island mall.

Scott "Scooter" Braun turned himself into Nassau County police and pleaded not guilty today on charges of reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance for what became a serious case of Bieber Fever.

"You've got my total support. Wish you were here in Chicago with us," Bieber tweeted earlier today after arriving in the Windy City for a concert sporting a "Free Scooter" T-shirt.

E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic happened to be on the same flight.

"Justin and his whole entourage of eight were wearing custom-made 'Free Scooter' T-shirts in support of their manager," says Rancic. "Bieber was in good spirits, talkative and dressed very incognito with a hoodie over his head. He was flashing that Bieber smile with those darling dimples we've all grown to love."

According to authorities, Braun failed to immediately tweet a message scrapping the Nov. 20 event and disperse the crowd. Things eventually spiraled out of control. One person was injured in the melee and ended up in the hospital.

Prosecutors allege he intentionally stalled officers by taking at least 90 minutes to post the cancellation message, instead leaving up a post on Bieber's Twitter urging fans to come to the Roosevelt Field Mall.

It wasn't until the 28-year-old manager and an executive from the "Baby" singer's label, Island Def Jam, were taken into custody that the tweets were finally posted, police say.

Braun's attorney, Ravi Batra, claims his client wasn't near a computer when the request was made, but that he still managed to send the tweets within 10 minutes.

Braun is free on his own recognizance pending an April 7 hearing. Should he be convicted, Braun could face up to a year in jail and fines.



Read more: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Read + Watch More @ [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]