Parkersburg dentist Dale E. Brum, right, celebrates walking out of Wood Circuit Court a free man following his acquittal on charges he threatened three court officers, including Family Court Judge Annette Fantasia. Following Brum out of the courthouse is his Father, Carl. (Photo by Lawrence Smith)

PARKERSBURG - Court records show that on two previous occasions, Dale Brum was put on trial for matters related to his divorce with his ex-wife, Debra Brum. And like with Wednesday's verdict, a jury twice acquitted Brum of the accusations leveled against him.

According to court records, Brum was arrested on June 6, 2002 on charges of domestic battery. Brum claims he was real victim in the case as after returning home from work he found Debra upstairs in their bedroom drunk. As he was preparing to return downstairs, Dale says Debra attacked him from behind.

After her attack, Brum says Debra fell to the ground and hit her face on the floor. While he took her downstairs to the couch, Dale says Debra continued to kick and hit at him.

After Debra calmed down, Dale says he took Alexis and Eric, who were then eight- and six-years old at the time, upstairs to the third floor of the house. Though he doesn't know when, but sometime later, Debra left the house, went next door and called the police alleging Dale beat her up.

Brum was arrested by Parkersburg Police Officer John Pelfrey, who Brum was accused of threatening in the last week's trial.

The day after his arrest, Brum said his attorney at the time, John Sims, filed motions for a trial by jury, a speedy trial and discovery. However, Brum said then-Assistant Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Farnsworth provided little cooperation with Sims' discovery requests.

When Magistrate Nancy Goodnight refused to dismiss the case based on the lack of speedy trial, Brum said Sims appealed her decision to Circuit Judge George "Skip" Hill. On Nov. 18, 2002, Hill dismissed the case.

According to Brum, Wood County Prosecutor Ginny Conley appealed Hill's decision twice to the state Supreme Court. Both times, the Court rebuffed Conley.

Undeterred, Conley had Brum rearrested on the domestic battery charge on May 5, 2003.

While he was facing that charge, court records show Brum was facing another one. According to court records, Brum was arrested on Oct. 10, 2002 for violation of a protection order Debra placed on him on June 10.

According to the complaint she filed on Sept. 30, Debra alleged Dale on Aug. 9 came to their home on Washington Ave. where she was now living, parked his car in the driveway, came to the backyard to look at her and left. Also, she alleged Brum called her from his cell phone on June 29 and July 19.

Brum admits to being at the house that day, but only to swing by and allow Alexis to get goggles to go swimming. Though he remained in the car, after seeing Debra, Dale said he instructed Alexis to return to the car without the goggles, and they left.

According to court records, a jury found Dale not guilty on Jan. 22, 2003.

In March 2004, Brum was tried on the re-filed domestic battery charge. However, three months before that on Dec. 16, 2003, the Brums had the final hearing on their divorce decree before Family Law Judge Annette Fantasia, another person Brum was accused of threatening in the recent trial.

During that hearing, Brum said Fantasia said she believed he was guilty of the allegations leveled against him. However, a jury in magistrate court disagreed and found Brum not guilty

Wood County Magistrate Court, Case Nos. 02-M-2472 (original domestic battery charge), 02-M-4310 (contempt of a protective order) and 03-M-1967 (re-filed domestic battery charge)