HOUSTON, Texas – On Monday, Sept. 9, the highly anticipated murder trial of former Houston Police Department narcotics officer Gerald Goines is set to begin.
Goines is facing charges for his alleged involvement in the shooting deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, two homeowners who were killed in a barrage of bullets after HPD narcotics officers burst into their home unannounced with a no-knock warrant in late January 2019.
Since the deadly raid, serious questions have arisen regarding the legitimacy of the warrant used to justify the raid.
Prosecutors allege Goines lied to obtain a search warrant by making up a confidential informant and wrongly portraying the couple as dangerous heroin dealers. That led to a deadly encounter in which officers shot and killed Tuttle, Nicholas and their dog, and found only small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the house. Five officers, including Goines, were injured in the raid.
As the trial gets underway, KPRC 2 Investigates’ Mario Diaz has spoken with several former prosecutors about the challenges facing the defense in this trial
Criminal defense attorney Casey Gonzalez believes the biggest challenge for Goines’ defense team is securing a fair trial.
“This case has gotten so much publicity,” Gonzalez said. “When they were doing their jury selection recently, almost every single juror had heard about this case, knew something about it, and many had already come to a decision or conclusion that Gerald Goines was guilty. I think that is going to be the most difficult aspect for the defense.”
Goines pleaded not guilty to the two felony murder counts. He is also facing federal charges but has not gone to trial yet.
“This is a tough case. You’ve got this guy who, based on all the facts and circumstances and what the allegations are, is that he lied in a search warrant so that he could essentially commit a home invasion and break into these people’s home, and they ended up dead,” attorney Joe Vinas said. “That is not going to sit well with a jury.”
Goines is being defended by Nicole Deborde and her firm, Hochglaube & DeBorde P.C. She is known as a “heavyweight” and highly respected criminal defense attorney in the courtroom. With more than 20 years of experience, Deborde has been with Goines since he was first charged in 2019.
“The defense on this case is top-notch. These are some of the finest attorneys that we have in Texas, but I will be interested in watching how they go about defending him,” Angela Weltin, also a criminal defense attorney, said. “Are they going to shoot for the moon and try to get a not-guilty verdict altogether, or are they going to say, ‘Hey, we were partially responsible but shouldn’t be held to this higher standard?’”
Also on his team: Molly Bagshaw, Corey Fawcett, George ‘Mac’ Secrest, and William Reagan Wynn.