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Posted: March 7, 2011

NC Appeals Court to hear arguments in Goode case

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By MARTHA WAGGONER, Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. — The state Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case of a man serving consecutive life terms for the murders of a Johnston County couple who owned the trailer park where he lived.

The court will hear the arguments Monday afternoon in the case of George Goode, who originally was sentenced to death for the 1992 murders of Leon and Margaret Batten.

A federal judge cited ineffective attorneys when he overturned that sentence, and Goode was sentenced to consecutive life terms last year.

The federal judge also reprimanded a State Bureau of Investigation agent for presenting misleading blood evidence at Goode's trial.

Attorney Diane Savage will argue that Goode should be sentenced to concurrent life terms.

Goode was convicted in the beating and stabbing deaths of the couple. He has insisted that he was there when they were killed but did not participate. He was convicted along with his brother and another man.

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Latest Comments

In case you GOLO legal geniuses didn't realize...

(1) The SBI Crime Lab was found by a very conservative federal judge to have presented misleading testimony regarding so-called "blood evidence" in this case. And if the Greg Taylor case taught us anything, it's that the SBI loves to lie, especially about blood.

(2) Contrary to the claims of some of the mouth-breathers on this board, you are absolutely not guilty of a murder that you witness but do not participate in. Think about it for one second. Are the people who witnessed Jared Loughner's rampage guilty of murder because they happened to be there?

keptsimple
March 7, 2011 3:18 p.m.

This is a waste of taxpayers money. He should've been executed but once removed from death row, he should not have been given more lawyers (that I am sure he will complain are ineffective). At that point, he had used his appeals, saved his self as the selfish murderer he is and therefore, deserves to sit and rot!

160lilsis
March 7, 2011 11:46 a.m.

Amazing what lawyers will do to get criminals out of jail.

JAT
March 7, 2011 11:31 a.m.

Participating or not he was there. He is just as responsible. I see no reason to spend taxpayer money on housing people that commit or watch these types of crimes. Execution is the answer. Our justice system needs to stop giving "time out" to these criminals and start taking action.

robinson66
March 7, 2011 11:25 a.m.

Ineffective lawyers. Did the judge disbarr them if not why not? It amazes more today than ever how people in prison have more rights than any free person ever had. I guess it is no wonder being the laws are written by lawyers for lawyers. Just let everyone out of prison and arm everyone and let us all defend ourselves.