Closing arguments end in retrial of ex-East Point officer's sexual assault case
Former East Point police sergeant Richard Gooddine sits at the defense table in a Fulton County courtroom in his sexual assault retrial. (Credit: FOX 5 Atlanta)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Fulton County jury has heard from both the defense and prosecutors in closing arguments and is set to deliberate next week in the retrial of a former East Point police sergeant, who faced 10 felony counts stemming from allegations of sexual assault while on duty.
Richard Gooddine retrial
What we know:
Richard Gooddine was on trial for a second time at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta, facing charges that included aggravated sexual battery, sexual assault by a law enforcement officer and violation of oath of office. Prosecutors accused Gooddine of using his badge, patrol vehicle, and authority to target and assault women and teenage girls between 2016 and 2018.
During his first trial in 2022, a Fulton County jury acquitted Gooddine on seven counts but deadlocked on 10 remaining charges after 10 hours of deliberation. The current retrial focuses on those unresolved counts, led by an aggravated sexual battery charge that carries a potential life sentence.
The retrial focused heavily on the alleged sexual assault of the minor, with prosecutors presenting testimony on transport protocols and forensic evidence to piece together the night of the incident.
Key evidence and closing arguments
What they're saying:
Prosecutors emphasized how Gooddine allegedly abused his official authority as an East Point police officer to target vulnerable victims.
"A police officer's uniform is meant to be a shield, protect the vulnerable," state prosecutors told the jury during closing arguments. "He turned that uniform and that shield into a weapon. And he used his badge as a sword."
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State prosecutors argued that Gooddine intentionally selected a 15-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl, and a homeless woman because their personal trauma, hardships, and social status made them ideal targets. The prosecution argued that Gooddine counted on their backgrounds ensuring their silence, assuming no one would take their word over that of a decorated police officer.
"He selected each of them because of those issues, because their social status guaranteed their silence, or so he thought," prosecutors told the panel.
Gooddine's defense team challenged the state's case during closing arguments, telling jurors that the prosecution relied on speculation and failed to eliminate reasonable doubt. Defense counsel argued that the 15-year-old lead accuser fabricated the assault allegations to cover up staying out past curfew, drinking alcohol, and being brought home late by police on a school night.
"Her story is full of reasonable doubt," defense counsel argued, noting that the accuser later filed a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages. "An accusation is not evidence, and serious charges do not lower the burden of proof."
Defense attorneys pointed to objective dispatch logs to show Gooddine was responding to calls elsewhere, including Washington Road and Idlewood Drive, at the exact times the accuser claimed he showed her the clock in his patrol vehicle or took her on a "shots fired" call. Counsel also highlighted significant contradictions regarding a lack of male DNA on internal medical swabs, and CAD dispatch records claiming Gooddine was never left alone with the teenager during a July 2018 call.
Prosecutors also reviewed footage from Atlanta Medical Center South showing Gooddine's arrival shortly after the 15-year-old victim reported being assaulted.
Alex Goodman, an ER charge nurse, testified she requested an emergency lockdown upon learning of the report involving an officer. Goodman testified Gooddine spoke in an "agitated," "hostile," and "intimidating" tone when asked to leave.
She testified he refused to give his name, though she read his badge, and when told staff had a sensitive situation they could not discuss, Gooddine responded, "Everything here is my business." Goodman testified that Gooddine then threatened staff, asking, "Is this how you want your relationship with the police to be? Do you want that to change?"
Investigation unfolds, 2018 charges
The backstory:
Former East Point police sergeant Richard Gooddine was originally indicted on 17 counts in 2018, including child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, violation of oath of office, and sexual assault by a law enforcement officer.
The charges followed a series of allegations involving incidents authorities said occurred while Gooddine was employed with the East Point Police Department in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Gooddine was fired in August 2018 after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl during a night out while on duty.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry at the request of East Point police. Days after Gooddine's termination, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office issued arrest warrants involving allegations connected to three women.
One of those women, Rosa Woodard, previously told FOX 5 that Gooddine sexually assaulted her after arresting her for driving with a suspended license in 2016. East Point police confirmed at the time that its Internal Affairs Division investigated Woodard's complaint and determined it was unfounded.
What's next:
The jury is set to begin deliberations on Tuesday, Sept. 8, following the Labor Day holiday weekend.
What we don't know:
It is unknown when the jury will reach a verdict or how long deliberations will take.
The Source: The information in this story came from courtroom transcript records of closing arguments in Fulton County Superior Court and previous FOX 5 reports.