The sentencing phase for former Houston Police Officer Gerald Goines resumed as jurors deliberate his punishment following a Felony Murder conviction. Prosecutors highlighted his long history of misconduct, including planting evidence and a deadly 2019 drug raid.
Gerald Goines, a former Houston Police Department Narcotics Officer, resumed the sentencing portion of his murder trial today. The proceedings were temporarily suspended last week due to Goines' hospitalization.
Following his conviction for Felony Murder two weeks ago, jurors are currently in the process of deliberating his punishment. The closing arguments were concluded this morning, with Prosecutor Tanisha Manning describing Goines' actions as "the most severe instance of badge abuse that Harris County has ever witnessed."
Manning emphasized Goines' misconduct, which encompassed the planting of narcotics and the fabrication of evidence, as well as a pattern of corruption that persisted for decades. Prosecutor Keaton Forcht noted during the trial that Goines maintained a "rolling mobile pharmacy" in his police vehicle, which contained narcotics, empty baggies, scales, other individuals' identification, and numerous firearms. "
The contents of that vehicle demonstrate a profound abuse of authority," Forcht informed the jury. Additionally, he underscored the case of Otis Mallet, a man who was unjustly convicted in 2008 after Goines planted drugs on him. Forcht stated, "Goines made a deliberate decision to destroy someone's life." Nicole DeBorde, Goines' attorney, presented an alternative perspective, depicting Goines as a committed officer who labored in hazardous neighborhoods to safeguard the community. She contended that Goines' intentions were to serve and protect, despite his errors.
Last week, the trial was halted due to a medical emergency that required Goines to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. The emergency was not disclosed to the jurors, and the trial was resumed upon Goines' recovery.
Manning resumed her argument, labeling Goines as a "corrupt cop" whose pattern of misconduct culminated in a deadly drug raid in 2019, which resulted in the deaths of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle and the injury of four officers.
