Noe seeks change of venue for state trial

5/19/2006
BLADE STAFF

Former Maumee coin dealer Tom Noe wants his trial on 53 counts of theft, forgery, and racketeering moved to a different county.

Claiming that publicity has been prejudicial, Mr. Noe s lawyers say finding a fair and impartial jury in Lucas County would be impossible.

They filed a motion today in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.The motion claims media coverage of Mr. Noe in The Blade has been overwhelming negative and sensational.

Mr. Noe, who is also the former chairman of the Lucas County Republican Party, is awaiting trial on the 53 felony counts in his handling of a $50 million rare-coin fund investment he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation.

A 15-page memorandum filed with the motion said that more than 755 articles, letters to the editor, and editorials mentioning Mr. Noe have been printed in the newspaper since April 1, 2005.

The trial on the criminal charges is scheduled for Aug. 29. He also faces charges in federal court for allegedly funneling more than $45,000 into President Bush s re-election campaign. He is scheduled to enter a guilty plea to those charges in U.S. District Court at the end of the month.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.