When Rachel took the stand, DeGuerin grilled her about her relationship with Jeff Bagwell; about an alleged history of panic attacks that impaired her perception of reality; about whether she swore when she asked her husband if he had been with another woman; about how she stood to gain millions from the divorce. It was a remarkably bottom-feeding performance from a man who kicked off his introduction to the jury by saying he was honored to represent Michael Brown.
Nevertheless, DeGuerin had done enough to question Rachel's credibility, perhaps most notably in the form of an affidavit she signed after the August 2010 incident in which she recanted her story and asked the District Attorney's office to drop the charge. (In a repeat performance of Rob Todd's getting Darlina to recant an earlier abuse allegation, Brown Hand Center attorney Amelia Ambriz-Najera prepared the affidavit for Rachel.)
By Mandy Oaklander
Seen leaving the courtroom during his latest trial, Dr. Michael Brown was acquitted of assaulting his latest wife.
By Mandy Oaklander
In a dramatic gesture after the trial, attorney Dick DeGuerin cut off Brown's ankle bracelet.
Details
READ MORE:
FEATURE: The Good Doctor -- Michael Brown made it big in the hand clinic business. But as his wife discovered, there was a much darker side to this dynamic surgeon.
FESTURE: Taking His Medicine -- Troubled hand surgeon Michael Brown pursues custody of his two children
BLOG POSTS: Previous coverage of Dr. Michael Brown
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Despite passionate arguments by prosecutors Waters and Nathan Hennigan, the jury acquitted after five hours. Brown hugged his attorneys, and they headed into the hallway for the ceremonial anklet-cutting.
The attempted tarnishing of Rachel would continue with the anonymous mailing to the Press of a seven-second video of Rachel smoking an unknown substance in her kitchen. There is no context to the video — no indication of when it was recorded, who recorded it or what it is that Rachel's smoking.
Brown must now continue to face Rachel in Family Court, where he's always been on shakier ground. Unlike with Darlina, he did not make Rachel sign a prenuptial agreement, so she stands to be awarded half of his fortune.
With no significant other by his side, it might be a lonely fight for Brown. He'll probably have to rely on his father's advice more than ever, advice he passed along to Sophie: "Never give up."
He's had to rely on those words in very dark times, as on the day in March 2000 when he wanted to have a picnic with Sophie and Darlina.
"Instead," Brown wrote, "I drove over here with a big pistol...and a big pillow to muffle the blast when I took my head off.
"Baby I could do it — I can do anything I set my mind to. Why would I? Simple — to stop the pain. It's the pain that comes from loving but feeling unlovable. ...Then I got to thinking...'Never Give Up'...that's what my Dad wanted you to know....
"Now the pages that follow are my attempt to help you through life so you don't end up in a pasture with a pillow & a pistol."
He had to rely on those words then, and he'll have to rely on them now. Because while he'll have highly paid doctors, lawyers and bodyguards to protect and defend him for the right price, he doesn't appear to have anyone close by who actually loves him.
And from the looks of it, that includes Michael Glyn Brown himself.
craig.malisow@houstonpress.com
