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    The rich & infamous

    Vandalism, Xanax and a Jeff Bagwell affair: The lowlights of the dirt-tasticMichael Brown trial

    Sarah Rufca
    Sep 19, 2011 | 4:31 pm
    • Michael Brown
    • Rachel Brown in court last week
      Photo via My Fox Houston/Channel 26

    It's not exactly the trial of the century, but the assault case against Brown Hand Center owner and ex-doctor Michael Brown has more rings than a circus and more dirt than a West Texas windstorm. With closing arguments completed on Monday afternoon, the question at hand for the jurors is whether Brown violently twisted his wife Rachel's arm during a fight on Aug. 12, 2010.

    Women! Can't live with them, can't beat them up when they try to leave.

    The question for us, the peanut gallery, is how to parse through all the details of a less-than-glamorous day in the life of the rich and infamous. Here are our favorite tibdits:

    - A main point of contention between the prosecution and the defense was whether Rachel Brown's new relationship would be submitted into evidence. Why? Because she's dating former Astros All-Star Jeff Bagwell. Rachel Brown says the relationship began in January 2011, five months after the alleged assault in question and the same month she filed for divorce from Michael Brown, though she did admit to going to Cabo San Lucas with him in 2010.

    The courtroom was atwitter (like, literally, it was on Twitter) that Bagwell had been subpoenaed and might have to testify, but he never made an appearance. (The lawyers are calling the relationship an "affair" since both Brown and Bagwell have yet to officially divorce, but Bagwell has been separated since mid-2010 and Brown has had a no-contact order with her husband since last August.)

    - This trial makes being a rich lady sound pretty awesome. According to testimony, Rachel Brown received a voicemail on Aug. 12 in the middle of the afternoon in which her husband, having pocket-dialed her cell phone, could be heard with another woman in the background. Why did she miss the call? She was napping. (Which you can do when you've got four nannies, just like Camille Grammer.)

    In another part of the trial, Rachel's friend Debbie Festari was called to the stand by the defense to testify that Rachel had not wanted to press charges against her husband, and when confronted by defense attorney Dick DeGuerin about the discrepancies between her courtroom testimony and what she'd said to him in a call he recorded, Festari said she couldn't be sure what she told him on the phone because he'd called her at 6 p.m. and she'd been drinking with her girlfriends since noon.

    - Of course, being rich can also create problems. Defense attorneys argued that Rachel Brown was an equal participant in the argument because before her husband returned for a confrontation, she gathered and hid the keys to all his luxury cars. After the incident, she also scratched the words "Fuck you" into the hood of his Lamborghini. Women! Can't live with them, can't beat them up when they try to leave.

    - According to testimony defense attorney Dick DeGuerin repeated many, many times, Rachel Brown confronted her husband about her suspicions of infidelity in part by demanding "Who were you fucking last night?" What the jury doesn't know is that the answer is even more sordid than Rachel thought. According to excluded testimony from Brown's bodyguard, the night before the alleged assault Michael Brown was patronizing the services of a "massage parlor." Defense attorneys successfully argued that the jury might be prejudiced by that little revelation.

    - The defense argues that the panic attacks for which she takes anti-anxiety medications might have led Rachel Brown to mistake or mis-perceive the events from last August. In its closing, the prosecuction countered that she had only been having panic attacks for eight-and-a-half years, or roughly the amount of time she'd been married to the defendant. Oh, snap!

    - Though the charge is related to the alleged arm-twisting, the prosecution has also hammered home the irony of Michael Brown allegedly throwing his 2010 Joanne King Herring Humanitarian Award at his wife along with two heavy vases. That humanitarian award is becoming as much of a liability for Herring as giving all those weapons to the Taliban back in the '80s.

    - Just in case the story wasn't tabloid enough, there's now an animated re-enactment of the scene, made in Taiwan.

    When the jury returns with a verdict on the assualt of a family member charge — a felony charge because Brown has previously pled guilty to assaulting ex-wife Darlina — he could be sentenced to anything from probation to 10 years in jail.

    unspecified
    news/city-life

    Houston's best summer party

    White Linen Night in the Heights rolls out new VIP section for 2025

    Eric Sandler
    May 19, 2025 | 5:33 pm
    White Linen Night in the Heights
    Photo courtesy of White Linen Night in the Heights
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    One of Houston’s favorite summer parties aspires to be even better in 2025. White Linen Night aims to build on the success of the 2024 event with faster admission, more amenities, and a dedicated VIP section.

    Held annually on the first Saturday in August — this year that’s Saturday, August 2 — White Linen Night came to Houston from New Orleans. Although it now takes place throughout the neighborhood, its roots have always been on 19th Street, where the nonprofit 19th Street Merchants Association established the event after Hurricane Katrina. As part of the evening, the street is closed off to vehicular traffic which allows people to walk freely among their friends and neighbors. The overwhelming majority of attendees dress in the spirit of the event’s name by wearing white (it’s also cooling in the summer heat).

    Last year, for the first time ever, the merchants association charged those attending the 19th Street party a $10 admission fee. The money paid for better security, a deep clean both before and after the event, and festive Christmas decorations for the association’s members. Given its success, the fee is back at the same $10 price for 2025 ($15 after July 31).

    “We learned that people are still incredibly eager to support our local businesses and artisans, even when there is a small fee to attend,” Coryne Rich, secretary of the 19th Street Merchants Association, tells CultureMap. “It was inspiring to see the community come out in droves, especially during what is traditionally a slower time of year. Charging for entry also gave us the opportunity to enhance the event in meaningful ways, adding value for both attendees and merchants.”

    For 2025, the association is installing a dedicated wifi network to improve the entry process. More notably, attendees have a new VIP ticket option. Priced at $60, it comes with access to a VIP section with seating, dedicated restrooms, a cooling station, and two bars.

    “We added a VIP section this year to expand on the offerings of White Linen Night and to provide a more exclusive experience for those looking to enjoy the event in a different way,” Rich explains. “[It will be] a perfect space for guests to relax and immerse themselves in the atmosphere while also supporting the local businesses in the Heights.”

    Other elements of the evening remained unchanged. The street’s merchants will open their doors to the community. Area restaurants will offer food and drink specials. Local musicians will perform throughout the evening.

    To be clear, White Linen Night events held in other parts of the Heights, such as on White Oak, are not connected to the 19th Street Merchants Association. They may or may not charge fees of their own.

    “While organizing White Linen Night takes a lot of work, the reward of seeing people in their white attire, enjoying an evening of community celebration, and supporting small businesses is always the best part,” Rich adds. “It’s a time for all of us to celebrate the unique culture of the Heights, and we can’t wait to experience it all over again this year.”

    For tickets and more information, visit the White Linen Night on 19th Street website at wlnon19th.com.

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