Rihanna is reportedly back together with Chris Brown. But does this mean he's off the hook for assault charges? Victims' rights advocate Judge Jeanine Pirro breaks it down.

Judge Jeanine Pirro, a tireless advocate of women's rights, created one of the first Domestic Violence Units in the nation. As District Attorney, she chaired the New York State Commission on Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board. Its findings resulted in legislation being passed that increased protections and safeguards for domestic violence victims and their families.

Judge Pirro also presides daily over her courtroom on the popular show "Judge Jeanine Pirro." With her direct, no-nonsense attitude and compassionate approach, Judge Pirro rules on a variety of cases, from small claims to emotionally charged disputes between couples in crisis, deadbeat dads and out-of-control teens.

That's why we were particularly interested to hear Judge Jeanine Pirro's thoughts on Rihanna and Chris Brown reportedly getting back together.

"Women who've been battered often drop charges," she says. "Hope springs eternal. They believe him when he says he'll never do it again. They believe it's their fault. They want to minimize it and delete it from their memory."

But even if Rihanna wants to drop charges against Chris Brown, she probably can't.

"The DA can go forward without her," says Judge Pirro. "It's not her prosecution. It's the People of the State of California's. Rihanna is nothing more than a witness. If she doesn't cooperate or respond to a subpoena (or even denies it was him), they can still get a conviction. I've done this with a witness whose brains were knocked out with a hammer and she testified for the defendant! In that case, I got a conviction for attempted murder anyway.

This is what the DA needs, according to Judge Pirro:

1. Pictures
2. Medical records ... which, if the DA had done his homework, would have been released by Rihanna in the event this very thing might happen.
3. Her clothing with blood on it
4. Witnesses who found her in the car
5. Her telephone records proving who she did and didn't call that night
6. Who saw them together last?
7. The spontaneous declaration she made when the police found her.

"No plea deal, no lesser charge," Judge Pirro says. "Chris Brown is dangerous! If you lose the case, so be it. Just prosecute him."

Be sure to check out "Judge Jeanine Pirro" daily on the CW at 3:00 PM.

Judge Jeanine Pirro is an attorney, prosecutor and politician who served as a county judge before serving as the elected district attorney of Westchester County in New York for 12 years. Judge Jeanine lives in Rye, New York, and is the mother of two college-age children.