Opinion ID: 2155795
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The January 14, 1997 meeting at Dr. Brown's office.

Text: It is undisputed that on January 14, 1997, twelve days after Dr. Brown's visit to Mrs. J.'s home, Mrs. J., her husband, and her grandson visited Dr. Brown at his office. Shortly after the group arrived, they were joined by Dr. Anderson. Mrs. J., Dr. Brown, and Dr. Anderson all testified that Dr. Anderson offered to pray with Mrs. J. and that Mrs. J. angrily refused. At trial, however, they agreed on little else regarding this strange encounter. According to her trial testimony, Mrs. J. believed that she had been invited to come to Dr. Brown's office to discuss her continuing migraine headaches. Mrs. J. testified that she did not expect to see Dr. Anderson at all. [3] She further stated that, after Dr. Anderson arrived, he had a conversation with her and her husband in which he apologized to Mr. J. for his conduct and offered Mrs. J. money to pay me off, to get rid of me so that I wouldn't go to court. Mrs. J. claimed that Dr. Anderson offered her $500 to leave town. . . and stay until the court thing blow[s] over and to induce her not to talk to anyone from the DA's office; not . . . to Detective Richmond or anyone else. According to Mrs. J., she called Dr. Anderson a rapist and rejected as absurd his suggestion that they pray together. Dr. Brown testified that he arranged the meeting at Mrs. J.'s request for the express purpose of enabling Dr. Anderson to apologize to her, and that he had so advised Dr. Anderson in advance. [4] Dr. Brown agreed with Mrs. J. (but not with Dr. Anderson) as to one disputed fact, namely that, as soon as Dr. Anderson arrived, all those present, including Mrs. J. and Dr. Anderson, were together in Dr. Brown's waiting room. According to Dr. Brown, Dr. Anderson spoke to Mrs. J. for at least twenty minutes. Dr. Brown testified that the only discussion of money concerned the little gift for Mrs. J. that Dr. Brown had hoped to obtain for his patient from Dr. Anderson. Dr. Anderson presented a third version of the events of January 14, 1997. He testified that he came to Dr. Brown's office solely in order to speak to Mrs. J.'s husband and to calm him down. His purpose was to tell Mr. J. that he had heard what's been going on, the trouble you've been going through with the detectives etcetera, and people harassing you. By his own account, Dr. Anderson knew that Mrs. J. would be in Dr. Brown's office, but he believed that she would not be in the same room with him; he expected to meet only with Mr. J. Nevertheless, and contrary to Dr. Anderson's claimed expectations, Mrs. J. and Dr. Brown both joined Dr. Anderson and Mr. J. in the room in which the two men were having their discussion. Dr. Anderson acknowledged that he then spoke with Mrs. J., that he described to her his humble origins and his profound respect for women, and that he offered to pray with her. He stated, however, that Mrs. J. rejected his suggestion that the two of them pray together. Dr. Anderson firmly denied that he was willing to pay Mrs. J. any money. He insisted, on the contrary, that [t]he only thing I ever offered to her was prayer.