… even for a lawyer.

Goad’s defense was a technical one, in which his attorney argued the man had beat the woman many times before without causing serious physical harm. “I’m not trying to justify his actions, but for felonious assault, he’s got to know this could happen,” argued Washington County Public Defender Ray Smith. In order for the jury to convict Goad of second-degree felonious assault, the evidence had to show he knew his actions were likely to cause serious physical harm. Smith’s argument was that because Goad had hit the woman before without breaking her nose that he couldn’t expect that to happen. The jury didn’t seem to buy into the argument.