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This was in today's Register
March 19, 2002
By LARRY WELBORN
The Orange County Register
"Judge rules there's no conflict in DA's Goodwin prosecution
Defense attorney had cited Tony Rackauckas' connections to the sister of slain racing legend Mickey Thompson.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office does not have a conflict of interest that should disqualify it from prosecuting motorcycle-racing promoter Michael Goodwin on a 14-year-old double- murder charge, a Superior Court judge ruled Monday.
Defense attorney Jeffrey S. Benice sought to disqualify the local office from the case because
of ties between District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Collene Campbell, a San Juan Capistrano councilwoman and the sister of Mickey Thompson, the auto- racing legend who was shot to death, along with his wife, Trudy, in March 1988.
Benice argued that Rackauckas' staff filed murder charges against Goodwin in Orange County even though the murders happened in Los Angeles County because of his association with Campbell.
He said Rackauckas -- while in private practice in the late- 1980s -- worked on a probate case for Campbell involving Thompson's death and that the DA also served as treasurer of a victims-rights group that Campbell formed.
But Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno ruled that those two facts were insufficient evidence of a conflict of interest for Rackauckas.
Benice said he will consider appealing Briseno's decision.
The defense attorney also announced he will challenge whether Orange County has any jurisdiction to prosecute Goodwin because the Thompsons were killed in front of their San Gabriel Valley mansion."
BRAAAAAAAAP!
March 19, 2002
By LARRY WELBORN
The Orange County Register
"Judge rules there's no conflict in DA's Goodwin prosecution
Defense attorney had cited Tony Rackauckas' connections to the sister of slain racing legend Mickey Thompson.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office does not have a conflict of interest that should disqualify it from prosecuting motorcycle-racing promoter Michael Goodwin on a 14-year-old double- murder charge, a Superior Court judge ruled Monday.
Defense attorney Jeffrey S. Benice sought to disqualify the local office from the case because
of ties between District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Collene Campbell, a San Juan Capistrano councilwoman and the sister of Mickey Thompson, the auto- racing legend who was shot to death, along with his wife, Trudy, in March 1988.
Benice argued that Rackauckas' staff filed murder charges against Goodwin in Orange County even though the murders happened in Los Angeles County because of his association with Campbell.
He said Rackauckas -- while in private practice in the late- 1980s -- worked on a probate case for Campbell involving Thompson's death and that the DA also served as treasurer of a victims-rights group that Campbell formed.
But Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno ruled that those two facts were insufficient evidence of a conflict of interest for Rackauckas.
Benice said he will consider appealing Briseno's decision.
The defense attorney also announced he will challenge whether Orange County has any jurisdiction to prosecute Goodwin because the Thompsons were killed in front of their San Gabriel Valley mansion."
BRAAAAAAAAP!