Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Justice On Trial, a non-profit advocacy for the wrongfully accused, founded in early 2002, has been an advocate for Michael F. Goodwin, convicted, in January of 2007, of the 1988 murders of Mickey and Trudy Thompson. Goodwin is now serving two life sentences without possibility of parole at High Desert State Prison in Susanville, California.

Goodwin has always claimed, and still claims, his innocence. He is planning an appeal of the murder conviction. At Goodwin?s trial, prosecutors were never able to connect him to the brutal slaying of Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy in the driveway of their home, execution-style, in March of 1988. Prosecutors alleged that Goodwin hired two men to gun down the Thompsons in order to keep from paying more than $700, 000 to Mickey Thompson, the result of a judgment won in a lawsuit filed against Goodwin by Thompson, 3 years before the murders.

Goodwin was originally arrested at his home in Dana Point, California and, at the time of his arrest, Orange County prosecutors alleged that there was forensic evidence that Goodwin provided a murder weapon to the killers. However, during the two years Goodwin spent in the Orange County jail, this evidence was debunked by Goodwin?s defense team. The case was eventually dismissed by an appeal court on a venue issue.

Before Goodwin could be released from the Orange County jail, following the dismissal there, L.A. prosecutors, claiming they had new evidence, filed murder charges in 2004 against Goodwin. Bail was never granted to Goodwin. After more than two years in the L.A. jail, Goodwin was convicted of the Thompson murders in January of 2007.

It was alleged by the Goodwin?s defense team that there were other suspects but this evidence was not presented at trial due to the trial judge?s ruling. The Goodwin defense team also alleged that the crimes were probably a botched robbery. The evidence of a possible robbery, that the trial judge allowed, did not convince the jury.

Justice On Trial has discontinued working with Goodwin on the Mickey Thompson murder case. The advocacy organization is not taking new cases due to a severe funding shortfall.