S. Fla. Polo Mogul Set For Trial On DUI Manslaughter
WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — Wealthy Palm Beach polo mogul John Goodman is set to go on trial Tuesday in the drunken-driving death of a 23-year-old man on his way to visit his family.
Police say a drunken Goodman rammed his black Bentley convertible into Scott Wilson's car two years ago, causing it to roll into a canal. Goodman is charged with DUI manslaughter and leaving the scene after waiting nearly an hour to call 911 as Wilson died.
A blood sample taken from Goodman three hours after the crash showed his blood alcohol level at 0.177 percent, more than twice the level at which drivers are presumed impaired in Florida.
He's the founder of the International Polo Club Palm Beach. He'll be represented in court by attorney Roy Black, who has previously defended Rush Limbaugh and William Kennedy Smith.
Goodman, 48, faces up to 30 years in prison if a jury convicts him of both charges. Attorneys are expected to begin questioning potential jurors at 9:30 a.m.
Goodman's manslaughter trial is expected to last two weeks. A trial is scheduled for the end of the month in a wrongful death suit the Wilson's parents have filed against him.
Goodman recently adopted his 42-year-old girlfriend Heather Hutchins. Critics said he is trying to maintain some indirect control over his fortune which he fears could be awarded to Wilson's family.
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