ATLANTA — Jurors will continue deliberating Tuesday in the retrial of a former East Point police officer accused of sexually assaulting a teenager and another woman.
Richard Goodine faces the same charges as in his first trial, which ended in a mistrial. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
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The retrial continued in Fulton County with testimony focused on DNA evidence and police procedures.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Ashley Brown testified last week that investigators found DNA belonging to the 15-year-old alleged victim inside Goodine’s patrol car.
Brown said the teenager’s DNA was identified on the steering wheel and turn signal.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys challenged the significance of the DNA evidence.
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Brown acknowledged that DNA testing cannot determine how DNA was deposited on an object or when it was left there.
The defense argued that DNA can be transferred through contact with clothing, shoes, hands, a face, or a mouth.
Brown agreed that she could not determine when the DNA was deposited before she processed the vehicle.
Goodine has acknowledged that he transported the teenager in his patrol car and took her home that night.
However, the teenager alleges that before taking her home, Goodine sexually assaulted her in the parking lot of the apartment complex where she lived.
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Jurors also heard from retired East Point Police Chief Tommy Gardner, who testified about department procedures for transporting juveniles.
Gardner said officers should notify their location and obtain approval from a supervisor before transporting a teenager.
Prosecutors contend those alleged policy violations are part of the additional evidence presented during the retrial.
Jurors are expected to continue deliberations as they consider the evidence and decide whether Goodine is guilty of the charges.