Court Games
Retrial of the century? Houston's billionaire polo king takes a second stab at not guilty verdict
A Florida judge has set an official retrial date for billionaire polo magnate John Goodman, whose 2012 manslaughter trial was declared "constitutionally impermissible" in early May thanks to a juror misstep.
The new proceedings are scheduled to begin Aug. 29.
But as his attorneys spend the summer preparing for court, Goodman will remain under house arrest on his estate under electronic surveillance to serve a 16-year sentence for a drunk-driving accident that killed a 23-year-old engineering student.
The Houston-born Goodman is only allowed out of his house one hour each day while the sun is up. He is unable to drive, required to wear an ankle-monitor and subjected to random alcohol and drug tests three times a month.
Goodman's team of lawyers are attempting to move the retrial out of Palm Beach County due to the heavy publicity garnered during the initial trial.
Meanwhile, disgraced juror Dennis DeMartin awaits a June 20 arraignment on charges of criminal contempt after failing to tell lawyers about his ex-wife's DUI arrest during the jury selection process. The 70-year-old retiree spilled the beans about the DUI in a self-published book he wrote titled Will She Kiss Me or Kill Me?
DeMartin will plead not guilty, citing a pair of strokes that have affected his memory in recent years. If convicted, he faces up to six months of jail time.