Billionaire Fights for Retrial

Houston billionaire could get a new trial in DUI manslaughter case thanks to "senile" juror

After getting the recent news the he couldn't legally adopt his 42-year-old girlfriend, things are looking up for polo king John Goodman — who is currently serving a 16-year sentence on house arrest for a 2010 drunk-driving accident that led to the death of a 23-year-old engineering student.

Lawyers for the disgraced Houston-raised billionaire are edging closer to securing a retrial, claiming that a juror lied during the jury selection process.

Goodman's lawyers says that, in spite of being asked directly, the juror did not reveal his wife's DUI ch arge.

On Monday, an appellate court ordered that original trial judge Jeffrey Colbath re-interview juror Dennis DeMartin, who recently revealed in a self-published book titled Will She Kiss Me or Kill Me? that his wife has been arrested for DUI.

Goodman's legal team says that, in spite of being asked directly, the juror did not reveal his wife's DUI charge. Had they known, they say they wouldn't have selected him.

This is not the first time the retired accountant and his writing have caused controversy.

In his first book, Believing the Truth — a 32-page retelling of his experience as a juror on the Goodman trial — DeMartin details how he attempted his own drinking experiments to see how intoxicated the polo player had been the night of the accident. Unfortunately, he says he never heard the judge's warning to jurors about not conducting their own research.

"I don't remember him saying anything about that," DeMartin told the Palm Beach Post in 2012. "I'm human and that's my mistake. . . I'm 68. What can I say? I'm getting senile."

Judge Colbath announced that he and the attorneys will interview DeMartin on April 29.

John Goodman at his first trial

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John Goodman at his first trial

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are you happy?

Houston continues sad streak as one of the 'unhappiest' U.S. cities

Photo by Damaris Martin on Unsplash

Even with a poor ranking, you still shouldn't ask us to "smile more."

A new nationwide study analyzing the happiest cities in America has determined Houston is slightly happier than it was last year, but it still appears to be one of the unhappiest U.S. cities in 2026.

Houston currently ranks as the 128th happiest U.S. city. Last year, it was No. 151.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Houston across the three key dimensions:

No. 107 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 148 – Income and employment
No. 158 – Community and environment

Despite its low ranking, Houstonians are working hard to improve their city's quality of life year after year, whether its through opening new restaurants, inviting Houston-born stars to perform at the rodeo, or having a strong job market. We also have some of the best museums, a diverse culinary scene, and iconic institutions like the Johnson Space Center. And considering that people keep moving here, Houston must be happier than other places.

Having a good job and a fun social life can qualify as factors that measure happiness, but WalletHub separately emphasized that making more money doesn't necessarily mean "more" happiness.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Elsewhere in Texas
The Dallas suburb Plano and its residents' happiness far outshines the rest of Texas, according to WalletHub. Plano ranked as the 16th happiest U.S. city, and the No. 1 happiest statewide. Austin was the only other Texas city to rank among the top 50, landing in the No. 39 spot.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 70 – Irving
No. 92 – Garland
No. 106 – Grand Prairie
No. 111 – Dallas
No. 113 – Fort Worth
No. 119 – Arlington
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

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