The John Goodman trial in Florida is expected to begin over the weekend after a wild day of jury selection Thursday, in which a potential juror was arrested for contempt of court.
The trial is actually a retrial for Goodman, 51, the wealthy heir to a heating and air conditioning company and founder of the International Polo Club. He was previously convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison for a drunk-driving accident that killed 23-year-old Scott Patrick Wilson in 2010. The conviction was later tossed out because of
jury misconduct, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Prosecutors say Goodman left the scene of the accident and waited an hour to call 911 while Wilson drowned in his vehicle in a canal. The defense claims Goodman's vehicle suffered a mechanical malfunction and that's why it sped through a stop sign and smashed into Wilson's car. He then walked away from the scene in a daze after sustaining a concussion, his lawyers argue.
Jury misconduct also threatened to derail the retrial Thursday when prospective juror Travis Van Vliet was arrested for misdemeanor indirect criminal contempt. He reportedly violated the rules by mentioning to another prospective juror that the Goodman case had gone to trial before. According to the Sentinel, jurors are not supposed to know about Goodman's previous conviction, as it would interfere with impartiality.
Van Vliet told Palm Beach County Court Judge Jeffrey Colbath that he had researched the case on the Internet during lunch and shared what he learned with another potential juror.
After Van Vliet was removed, both sides eventually agreed on a panel of 10 jurors. The retrial is scheduled to begin Saturday.
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