Lois Goodman Sues LAPD, Coroner, for False Arrest

Lois Goodman, November 8th, 2012

Brief Synopsis
Last August, Lois Goodman, 71, a tennis line referee for the US Open was arrested in New York City and brought back to Los Angeles. She was charged with murder in the death of her husband Alan.  Alan had died in their Woodland Hills condominium on April 17th, 2012.  There was blood from the stairwell to the bedroom and other areas throughout the home.  After Goodman was arrested, she was suspended from her job.

According to an  August 2012 New York Times report:

His wife, a professional tennis official named Lois Ann Goodman, told the authorities at the time that she had come home from working at a local match and found her husband. She told the police that her guess was that he had fallen and hit his head. Perhaps, she said, he had suffered a heart attack. Or, perhaps, both.

In the search warrant affidavit, Detective Jeffrey T. Briscoe stated that during a second interview of Goodman by Detective Pitcher, "Lois gave a conflicting account of what she had seen the day she discovered her husband."

Goodman's defense attorney Alison Triessl presented the court with over 40 letters from family and friends in support of her client. Because of this outpouring of support, Goodman's bail was reduced to $500,000.00, and Goodman was able to make bail.  In moving papers, Goodman's defense team detailed the many surgeries and other health issues as evidence that Goodman did not have the physical strength to kill her husband in the manner the prosecution alleged.

On November 30th, the district attorney's office dropped the charges against Goodman.  Several weeks later, the US Tennis Association gave Lois her job back.

Last week, many news outlets reported that Goodman had filed a lawsuit in federal court against the LAPD and the coroner for false arrest and to get her reputation back.

On October 17th, at one of Goodman's pretrial hearings, I spoke to one of Goodman's supporters who approached me. At the time, the woman wondered how her friend would earn a living and get her good name back.  It appears Goodman feels a lawsuit is the only way.

Various news stories quoted from the complaint but I did not find a copy online. T&T has uploaded a copy of the full complaint and you can read it HERE.

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LA Times

Note to T&T readers: I apologize for the long time between posts. I've been busy with real-life responsibilities to Mr. Sprocket's business as well as some long over-due kitchen repairs. I hope to have another entry on the Kelly Soo Park Trial Synopsis and Gerhard Becker prelim up soon. Sprocket.