A wealthy Florida polo club founder has adopted his longtime adult
girlfriend in what attorneys believe may be a legal maneuver to protect
his financial assets as he faces a trial for a drunk driving incident
that killed a 23-year-old.
John Goodman, 48, formally adopted Heather Laruso Hutchins, 42, in
October 2011. The couple started dating in 2009. Goodman is the founder
of the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Fla.
West Palm Beach Judge Glenn Kelley wrote in a court order that the
twists in the case "border on the surreal and take the Court into a
legal twilight zone."
"The Defendant has effectively diverted a significant portion of the
assets of the children's trust to a person with whom he is intimately
involved at a time when his personal assets are largely at risk in this
case," the judge wrote.
Goodman is being sued by Lili and William Wilson for the wrongful death
of their son Scott Patrick Wilson, who come home from college for his
sister's birthday, and died in a car crash on Feb. 12, 2010.
According to police, Goodman, who was driving a Bentley, ran a stop sign
and slammed into Wilson's car. Goodman did not call police or an
ambulance, and left the crash scene on foot, police said. It was
determined that Goodman's blood alcohol level was more than twice the
legal limit.
Man Adopts Girlfriend, 42, Before Civil Suit Over DUI Death
Goodman's civil trial is set for March 27 and his criminal trial for
charges of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of
a crash is on March 6. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
None of Goodman's biological children have reached the age of 35, the
pre-determined age at which they can control their trust funds. Since
Hutchins is over the age of 35, her adoption entitles her immediately to
a one-third beneficiary interest in the trust.
The court had previously ruled that the assets owned by Goodman's
children could not be considered part of his net worth in the
calculations for assessing punitive damages for the Wilson family, but
the family thinks the adoption should change the ruling.
"Plaintiffs view the adoption of Ms. Hutchins as a 'game-changer' and as
grounds to now include the assets of the children's trust, at least in
some fashion, in the punitive damages calculation," Kelley wrote.
Attorneys representing the Wilsons believe that the move is Goodman's way of maintaining control of his money.
"By way of this adoption John Goodman effectively owns or has direct
control of one-third of the trust assets," Wilson family attorney Scott
Smith told ABCNews.com in an email. "It cannot go unrecognized that he
has adopted his 42-year-old adult girlfriend as opposed to a child in
need."
Goodman's attorney Dan Bachi did not respond to requests for comment,
but Kelley wrote in his motion that Goodman claims the adoption is
unrelated and that he does not benefit from it.
"Mr. Goodman asserts that the adoption makes Ms. Hutchings a beneficiary
and, until a probate court holds otherwise, this Court will assume this
is true," Kelley wrote.
The judge wrote that a probate court with jurisdiction over the trust
will determine whether the adoption is a "sham," as it relates to the
children's trust.
On Jan. 25, a Palm Beach County judge denied Goodman's request to move
the trial to Miami due to the negative publicity and attention he has
received in the Palm Beach area since the accident.
"March will be an exhausting and understandably difficult time for Mr.
and Mrs. Wilson, but they are prepared to move forward in honor of their
only son's memory," Smith wrote.
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