Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge Jeff Colbath allowed John Goodman, the Wellington Polo Club owner who has already been convicted of DUI manslaughter, to return to house arrest after a hearing in which the State Attorney's Office alleged that the convicted man had tampered with the electronic monitor he had been ordered to wear. Goodman was convicted and sentenced earlier this year but has been on house arrest on a $7 million bond while his conviction and sentence are appealed.
About six weeks ago, Goodman was taken into custody after he was accused of trying to tamper with his electronic ankle monitor. Goodman, who is under 24-hour police surveillance at his Wellington mansion as well as electronic monitoring, claimed that the monitor broke as he was getting into the shower.
Goodman's defense presented expert testimony that helped convince the Judge that the monitor suffered "wear and tear," and that there was no evidence that the monitor had been deliberately tampered with or destroyed. The State Attorney's Office urged Judge Colbath to revoke Goodman's $7 million bond and order him into the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections, where he would begin serving his 16 year prison sentence.
Goodman will resume his monitored house arrest while his case goes through the appellate process. The appellate process can take up to two years, if not longer. So long as Goodman does not violate the conditions of his bond, he will remain out of custody. If the appellate court affirms his conviction and sentence, he will be taken into custody and sent to prison.