SANTA ANA, Calif. (Dec. 27, 2002) — The trial of a man accused of killing auto racing legend and Max-Trac Tire Co. founder Mickey Thompson has been delayed on request of the defense.
Michael Frank Goodwin was arrested on Dec. 13, 2001, for the murders of Mickey Thompson and his wife, Trudy, and was scheduled to stand trial Dec. 9, 2002. Prior to that, Mr. Goodwin's trial was set for July 8 until scheduling conflicts had postponed it.
Defense attorneys have requested that Mr. Goodwin's trial be moved from Orange County Superior Court to Los Angeles. Trial is stayed pending review in the Fourth District Court of Appeals on Feb. 21 to determine whether or not the case should be transferred, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. It said a new trial date is scheduled for April 7, 2003.
Mickey and Trudy Thompson were gunned down in the driveway of their Bradbury, Calif., home on the morning of March 16, 1988, by two unidentified shooters who remain at large. Mr. Goodwin, a former business partner of Mr. Thompson's, is charged with two counts of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the case.
Mr. Goodwin, 56, was once known as the "Father of Supercross" for his 1980s dirt bike competitions at California´s Anaheim Stadium.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson's sister, Collene Campbell, a leading victims' rights advocate, is working with others across the U.S. to develop a constitutional amendment that would create a "victims bill of rights." Frustrated by the number of delays in Mr. Goodwin's trial, Ms. Campbell said in a prepared statement that "right now, honest law-abiding citizens don't have rights equal to those of criminals, and I plan to do something about that on the national level."