HOUSTON — A former Houston police officer who was convicted of murder is requesting a new trial.
Gerald Goines, 61, is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence after a botched raid ended in the deaths of two people -- Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas -- in 2019.
New court documents say Goines' layer is now filing a motion to nullify a subpoena for the phone records of one of the people who was killed. A court hearing is set for early December.
'Most important verdict in Harris County history'
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg highlighted the significance of Goines' conviction. She said no other Houston police officer has ever been convicted of murder. She called it "the most important verdict in Harris County history."
"The people of this country have sent a strong message that police corruption will not be tolerated and that no one is above the law," Ogg said.
The veteran narcotics cop led the botched no-knock drug raid that led to the shooting deaths of the victims and their dog in their modest Harding Street home. Four officers, including Goines, were shot and wounded.
While Goines didn't fire the shots that killed Tuttle and Nicholas, he lied to get the warrant that falsely portrayed the couple as dangerous drug dealers. Only a small amount of cocaine and weed were found in their home.
The case uncovered years of corruption in HPD that included lying to get more drug warrants for overtime pay. The DA's Office had to revisit thousands of drug cases and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned at least 22 convictions linked to Goines.
“Gerald Goines has been a stain on the reputation of every honest cop in our community, a community that he terrorized through corruption worthy of the movie ‘Training Days,” Ogg said. “He had throwdown weapons, he had throwdown drugs, he killed and was responsible for the deaths of these two people and the ruination of many more.”