A Hamilton County judge on Tuesday shut down former police officer Jacob Goodwin’s push to get out of prison early, ordering him to serve the rest of a 14-year sentence for a series of armed robberies. Prosecutors argued that whatever sympathy Goodwin might have earned from his backstory was wiped out by what they described as troubling behavior behind bars.
Goodwin had asked the court to cut roughly five years from his sentence, but Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christopher McDowell rejected the request at a hearing, citing prosecutors’ claims that Goodwin used his law enforcement training and position to carry out the crimes, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
How the robberies unfolded
Prosecutors say Goodwin admitted to a robbery spree in spring 2017 that targeted two Speedway locations, a United Dairy Farmers, a CVS and a diner. Investigators linked the incidents through the same vehicle and similar tactics, according to reporting on the original indictment. WCPO reported that officers later found weapons, police equipment and ballistic vests they said tied Goodwin to the crimes.
Allegations of misconduct behind bars
At Tuesday’s hearing, prosecutors pressed the case that Goodwin’s conduct in prison should erase any shot at early release. They told the court the former officer continued to use and traffic drugs while incarcerated and alleged that he sold drugs inside the facility. FOX19 reports that Judge McDowell denied the motion and ruled that Goodwin cannot refile for early release.
Defense: injury led to addiction
Goodwin’s attorneys countered that his crimes were rooted in addiction that began after a back injury he suffered during a struggle with a domestic-violence suspect, when he was prescribed pain medication. They urged the court to factor that history into its decision on early release. Prosecutors responded with details from a 2023 search of Goodwin’s cell that, they said, turned up a possible intoxicating substance wrapped in two small pieces of paper, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Local policing fallout
Before his arrest, Goodwin worked short stints with several small departments, including Newtown, Aberdeen and Elmwood Place. His 2017 arrest rattled those agencies, prompting former chiefs to speak out about the hit to officer morale. WCPO reported that Newtown officers had previously flagged his vehicle, and that tip helped investigators piece the robbery case together.
