- A nine-woman, three-man jury was seated Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for the retrial of former sheriff’s deputy Jason Meade, charged in the 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson Jr.
- Opening statements are scheduled for Thursday morning, after which the jury will be taken to view the shooting scene.
- If convicted, Meade faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Michael Jason Meade, 47, is charged with murder and reckless homicide in connection with the death of Casey Goodson Jr., 23, at a north Columbus residence on December 4, 2020. The case is being heard at Franklin County Common Pleas Court before Judge David Young, who also presided over Meade’s first trial. A mistrial was declared in the first trial in 2024 after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Jury Seated; Opening Statements Set for Thursday at Franklin County Common Pleas
About 70 people remained in the jury pool Wednesday after more than 100 filled out questionnaires the previous week. Two women and two men were selected as alternates.
Goodson’s mother, Tamala Payne, has been present in the courtroom each day of jury selection. “Casey’s life was taken unexpectedly, in a wrongful manner,” Payne said Wednesday, per court pool reports.
Special prosecutors Gary Shroyer and Howard Merkle will argue the shooting was unjustified. Defense attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens will represent Meade. Collins and Stephens have previously represented law enforcement in other high-profile Franklin County cases, court records show.
What Happened on December 4, 2020, on Estates Place in North Columbus
On the day of the shooting, Meade was working with a U.S. Marshal’s fugitive task force that was conducting an ultimately unsuccessful search for a wanted individual. After the search, Meade was driving in an unmarked police vehicle near the Karl and Ferris roads intersection.
Meade has said he saw Goodson waving a firearm from a car as Meade drove past. He then followed Goodson to his grandmother’s residence on the 3900 block of Estates Place.
Prosecutors say Meade shot and killed Goodson as Goodson walked into his grandmother’s home wearing earbuds and carrying a sub sandwich. The defense says Meade fired after Goodson pointed a gun at him and ignored commands to drop the weapon. An autopsy found Goodson was shot five times in the back, Franklin County Coroner records show.
Prosecutors state the gun Meade said Goodson was waving was later found inside the home — with the safety on. Goodson also had a gun holster with no strap around his waist, according to the prosecution.
Meade was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting. No video of the incident exists.
What Is Different in This Retrial
In the retrial, Judge Young has granted the defense permission to use self-defense as part of its legal strategy — a significant procedural development compared to the first trial.
Former Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said the defense is also expected to call a biomechanical expert, and the prosecution will counter with their own expert regarding the position of Goodson’s body at the time of the shooting.
The trial is expected to last three weeks. Testimony is scheduled to begin Friday.
A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Goodson’s family against Meade and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has been paused by a federal judge until the criminal case concludes.
Sources
- Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Case Docket and Jury Records, April 2026
- Columbus Division of Police, Incident Report, December 4, 2020
- Franklin County Coroner, Autopsy Report, December 2020
- Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, Indictment Records, December 2021
- Court pool reports, Opening Statement Coverage, April 23, 2026
Author
Jonathan Pierce | ColumbusFrontline.com Reporter covering criminal courts, public safety, and Franklin County government.
Last Updated: April 23, 2026 at 09:30 ET
This report is based on information available at time of publication. Details may change as proceedings continue. ColumbusFrontline.com will update this article as testimony and verdicts are confirmed.