May 9th, 2004

Whitney Houston may have hoped that love would save the day, but a judge has ruled that husband Bobby Brown will have to stand trial for allegedly roughing her up last December.

Brown and Houston smiled at each other during Wednesday’s five-minute hearing, during which Judge Barry Zimmerman decided that there was enough evidence to go forward with the case against Brown.

The legally challenged R&B singer was ordered to turn himself in for fingerprinting on July 10 or 11. He’ll then be released on $2,000 bond. No trial date was set.

Brown’s lawyer, Maurice Bennett, said the judge’s decision did not come as a surprise.

Simple battery offenders can face up to a year in prison in Georgia and pay a $1,000 fine. First-time domestic-violence offenses are usually dismissed if the defendant undergoes counseling.

After the judge warned him against any more “violent contact” with his wife, Brown left the courtroom arm in arm with Houston. Neither commented to the press waiting outside.

Note to hikers: Don’t cross Madonna’s borderline.

Looking to protect their privacy from the prying eyes of paparazzi and other star gazers, the Material Girl and her filmmaker-hubby, Guy Ritchie, have taken legal steps to prevent would-be wanderers from traipsing through their $15 million English country estate.

The couple are looking to challenge a new law granting public access to open countryside for “ramblers,” aka hikers.

The case has led to an open inquiry that kicked off Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Madonna are appealing a decision by Britain’s Countryside Agency that identified 100 acres of the couple’s 1,200-acre spread as open walkway.

In legal papers, the dynamic duo argued that such a designation violated their privacy rights and exposes them to unwanted attention from tabloid photographers, stalkers, and other celeb-obssessed types they’ve long been trying to keep at bay.

It’s a double-pleasure delivery for Dixie Chick Martie Maguire–and just in time for Mother’s Day to boot.

The fiddler and her hubby, Gareth, announced the birth of twin girls on the group’s official Website, www.dixiechicks.com.

Older sis Eva Ruth was born April 27 at 8:05 a.m., weighing in at five pounds, 13 ounces, followed three minutes later by Kathleen Emilie, who weighed in at six pounds, 1 ounce. Both measured 19 inches.

The proud parents, who have been married since 2001, described themselves as “overjoyed” at the good news.