Jury Deliberates in Polo Club Founder's Manslaughter Trial

Goodman allegedly ran a stop sign in his Bentley, hitting 23-year-old Scott Wilson's car and causing him to plunge into a lake and drown.

The jury began its deliberations in the trial of International Polo Club founder John Goodman, who is accused of drunk driving and killing a man in February 2010.

Goodman allegedly ran a stop sign in his Bentley, hitting 23-year-old Scott Wilson's car and causing him to plunge into a lake and drown.

"If you have a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant not guilty," defense attorney Roy Black said Thursday.

Police said the defendant's blood alcohol level was more than two times over the legal limit. Goodman said he drank after the crash on his way to find a phone to call for help.

"I saw liquor on the counter and I grabbed a bottle and drank it thinking it would help with my pain," Goodman said.

Goodman’s fate is now up to the jury.

"This man did not deliberately walk away and leave somebody there to die like they want you to believe,” Black said. “He had a horrible car accident. He had trauma to his head. He looked around as best he could and wandered off looking for help and a phone. Is that so irrational?"

But prosecutors disagree.

"Why does he need to suffer a concussion?” said the prosecutor. “Because he's got to have an excuse for leaving the scene, so a concussion is the way to go. It's the same signs as being under the influence of alcohol."

The two sides also disagreed on what caused the accident.

The prosecution said Goodman was driving drunk and ran a stop sign. Defense attorneys said his Bentley malfunctioned and didn't stop when he applied the brakes.

Goodman could face 30 years in prison if convicted.

He made headlines last year after he adopted his girlfriend as his daughter. Prosecutors say he did this to protect his fortune as founder of the International Polo Club after settling a civil lawsuit with the victim's family.

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