Jury rejects lawsuit by tennis umpire against LA County coroner over husband's death

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A federal jury rejected a $10 million lawsuit filed by a professional tennis umpire against a Los Angeles County coroner who classified her husband's death as a homicide, which led to her arrest in 2012.

Lois Goodman claims that L.A. County Deputy Medical Examiner Yulai Wang recklessly and maliciously falsified the autopsy report of her husband, Alan Goodman.

In April 2012, Lois Goodman said she found her husband dead on their bed and his face covered in blood. Police and paramedics initially believed Alan Goodman died from an accidental fall down the stairs.

Louis Goodman was later arrested after the autopsy report labeled Goodman's death a homicide.

On Tuesday, Jurors found that Lois Goodman's civil rights were not violated and determined Wang did not falsify the death certificate for Alan Goodman.

Goodman alleged that she suffered pain, trauma and loss of work and reputation as a result of what she said was Wang's "shoddy" work.

Wang's attorney argued during the seven-day trial that the doctor was simply following the evidence when making his decision.

Goodman's attorney Robert Sheahen said the case would be appealed for a second time to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Goodman originally sued Los Angeles police detectives who investigated the case, along with the coroner's office and Wang. A federal judge threw out that lawsuit, but the appeals court reinstated the case against Wang because police relied on the conclusion of the coroner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.