Moyer axes Noe's bid for new judge

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/NEWS02/603090378/-1/NEWS

Tom Noe's political machinations are not enough to pull a Lucas County judge from Mr. Noe's criminal case, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ruled yesterday.

The chief justice rejected the former coin dealer's request to disqualify Judge Thomas Osowik from hearing the 53-count case, saying Mr. Noe's claims of bias were insufficient.

"In this case, there is no suggestion that Judge Osowik has done or said anything that might convey personal bias or prejudice against the defendant, and the judge has offered his assurances that he can preside fairly and impartially," Justice Moyer wrote.

Mr. Noe has pleaded not guilty to 53 felony counts of forgery, theft, and engaging in a criminal enterprise and is free on $500,000 bond. The charges stem from allegations that he stole and laundered more than $3 million from two coin funds he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation...


Blade reporters win National Headliner Awards for 'Coingate' work

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Blade reporters won top honors in the National Headliner Awards yesterday for uncovering Ohio's "Coingate" scandal that exposed massive government corruption and led to Gov. Bob Taft's criminal conviction on ethics charges.

James Drew, Mike Wilkinson, Steve Eder, Christopher D. Kirkpatrick, Joshua Boak, and Jim Tankersley earned the competition's top prize in print journalism - the "grand award" - and first place in investigative reporting for their continuing probe of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation's failed $50 million rare-coin venture with GOP insider Tom Noe. Special assignments editor Dave Murray is the team's supervisor and has managed The Blade's 11-month investigation.

"We're delighted to be recognized as publishing the best investigative series of the year with such a nationally prestigious award," said Ron Royhab, executive editor and vice president of The Blade.

Last month, a Lucas County grand jury returned a 53-count felony indictment against Mr. Noe, alleging that the former Toledo-area coin dealer had engaged in corruption, money laundering, and forgery as he allegedly stole millions of dollars from the rare-coin funds he managed for the state...



Article published Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Judge tells high court he can be fair to Noe
Osowik fights move to take him off case

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060308/NEWS02/603080430/-1/NEWS

A Lucas County judge has defended himself against charges that he is biased against Tom Noe and says he should not be disqualified from presiding over the theft, forgery, and racketeering case.

Judge Thomas Osowik, in a letter received by the Ohio Supreme Court yesterday, rejected claims that Mr. Noe's political efforts to defeat him were enough to force his removal from the case.

The judge also noted a number of inaccuracies in Mr. Noe's affidavit, including when he was appointed a judge. It was in 1991, he wrote, not in the "mid-1980s" as Mr. Noe claimed.

"In summary, I do not believe that anything contained in this defendant's affidavit would substantiate a finding of bias and prejudice that would render me unable to continue to serve on this case as the trial judge," Mr. Osowik said...

I was concerned he would be owing to the people who put him iin office.

there by Blackwell and other-powers-that-be in'04 election. He WAS, I recall, one of the judges "so-called" elected by Ohio "miscount" in Nov.'04.

If so, Noe's whining that he's worried about the judge Moyer assigned him to, is just a put-on...to convince the sheeple that Noe(and other Repug corrupted officials) are actually being brought to justice FINALLY.

If indeed Noe is "held" to the 53 indictments, I'll be surprised indeed about the allegedly Repug "stacked" Ohio Supreme Court. (Find it hard to believe that someone like Moyer was NOT on Noe's "campaign contribution list." If Noe contributed to Shrub, and Ahhnaaald....why not the OHIO S.C....so "close to home."

but this noe guy is toast in any case i think.