ATLANTA — A juror revealed to Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes the key piece of evidence that assured a guilty verdict for a former police officer convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager while on duty.
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That juror, who called it the “nail in the coffin,” was too uncomfortable to speak on camera. But he described how the jury came up with a guilty verdict.
He said the jury had a white board with a timeline of where the officer was on the night he was accused of sexually assaulting the teenage girl.
But what made them all say he was guilty was when he showed up to the hospital at the same time the teen victim was reporting him and he would not leave.
With a smile on his face and a nod to his family, former East Point police officer Richard Gooddine walked into this courtroom Tuesday to find out how much time he’s spending in prison.
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The state wanted the judge to give him life plus 70 years.
“These were crimes committed by a man who thought he’d never be held accountable,” said state prosecutor Julianna Peterson.
Gooddine’s defense attorney argued for less time in prison: “We are asking you to impose a sentence of 25 years.”
The judge met them in the middle and gave Gooddine life plus 20 years after she heard from the teen victim’s guardian.
The victim - who was 15 when Gooddine sexually assaulted her - was too overwhelmed to read the impact statement herself.
“When I heard the words guilty, I finally felt, heard and for the first time in eight years, I felt relief,” the statement said.
A different teen victim, who only testified during Gooddine’s first trial, read her statement on Zoom: “It has impacted my mental health, my relationships and my ability to feel safe in this world. The trauma I have endured has changed me in ways I never imagined possible.”
The victims who have been dealing with this case since the first jury couldn’t come up with verdict feel closure.
“It is so hard to fight law against law, so I never thought this was going to happen,
None of Gooddine’s family spoke, but they gave the judge character letters in private.
His defense team sent a statement saying he’s innocent.
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