Lawyer: Jamey Noel's wife and daughter claim coercion and want joint trial

The wife and daughter of the disgraced former Indiana Sheriff Jamey Noel wants to consolidate the two parties' criminal cases, claiming they were coerced and manipulated by Clark County's highest elected law enforcement officer.

wife Misty Noel and daughter Kasey Noel were charged with multiple counts of stealing tens of thousands of public funds that they allegedly spent on plastic surgery, beauty appointments, alcohol, Amazon purchases, airline tickets and hotels, prosecutors said.

Last week, the women appeared in court and asked Special Judge Larry Medlock to consolidate their trials. Their lawyers said a joint trial would be easier than separate trials.

Sunnye Bush-Sawtelle, who represents Kasey Noel, said the women were “controlled and manipulated” by Jamey Noel.

Jamey Noel, his wife and their eldest daughter were victims of a massive investigations into corruption in his term as Sheriff of Clark County from 2015 until January 2023, when he was forced to resign due to term limits.

The Noels are facing multiple charges in a major corruption investigation by state investigators. They claim that more than $5 million was stolen from the district and Fire department Money to pay for a private plane, a train, over 100 vintage cars, college tuition, beauty treatments, timeshares for vacations, air travel, alcohol and expensive cigars, according to criminal charges filed against them.

Misty Noel, 50, is charged with 10 felony counts for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in nonprofit fire department funds and failing to report the money as income, according to a criminal complaint.

Daughter Kasey Noel, 27, is accused of using public funds to purchase tanning services, beauty appointments and Amazon purchases, according to a criminal complaint.

Defense attorney Bush-Sawtelle said in court last week that she needed time to review 750 phone calls from prison between Noel and his family, “to examine the nature of the communication Jamey had with his family, his daughters and his wife, and to examine the ways in which he controlled and manipulated them,” she said.

Misty Noel's attorney, Bart McMahon, agreed to consolidate the two women's cases, saying simultaneous trials with separate juries would save the county time and money.

However, special prosecutor Richard Hertel categorically rejected the consolidation of the cases. He said it was a risky “experimental procedure” that endangered the defendants' right to a fair trial.

“Imposing two different juries at the same time would be a logistical nightmare that would complicate nearly every aspect of the trial, compromise the impartiality of each jury, and add an unnecessary layer of confusion,” he wrote in his response to the defense motion, according to court records.

“The use of this experimental procedure is not worth the enormous risk it entails,” the prosecutor argued.

A hearing on the defense motion has not been scheduled.

Misty Noel's attorney told Inside Edition Digital this week that both women “have a shared story to tell and it is a story that deserves to be told.”

The defense attorney declined further comment. Bush-Sawtelle did not respond to an interview request from Inside Edition Digital.

The Noels have all pleaded not guilty. They have not commented publicly on their cases. Earlier this month Misty Noel has filed for divorce from her husband of 28 years, citing an “irretrievable breakdown” of their marriage, according to court documents. The couple have been living apart since April, the documents state.

Misty and Kasey Noel are free on bail.

Jamey Noel has been in jail since April for contempt of court after Judge Medlock ruled that Noel violated the conditions of his bail by having weapons in his home. The judge later increased his bail to $1.5 million cash.

Medlock repeatedly admonished Jamey Noel in court and angrily told him: “You are not above the law” and sentenced him to 60 days in prison for contempt of court.

At a hearing in June where Noel's bail was increased to $1.5 million, the judge told him: “You had an airplane, a train that was hidden, a fleet of luxury motor vehicles, a harem of women, at least three mansions, suits worth $3,000, belts worth $800 that you even had delivered to you.”

Medlock told the defendant that it should not be a problem for him to raise the money for bail, given the lifestyle he “flaunted” in Clark County.

At the hearing to consolidate the two women's cases last week, Judge Medlock agreed to modify their bail conditions to allow them to travel out of state to Louisville. Kasey Noel's bail conditions were tightened earlier this year after she posted photos of herself and friends celebrating St. Patrick's Day in Louisville, authorities said.

“She’s not going to go to an Irish pub to celebrate?” the judge asked Kasey Noel’s lawyer.

“That would not be the intention, Judge,” Bush-Sawtelle replied.

Jamey Noel's trial, in which he faces 31 charges, is scheduled for November 6. According to online court records, the women's trials have been postponed until October.

The women's lawyers also told Medlock that their clients were having difficulty getting around because the state had confiscated almost all of the Noel-branded vehicles, which were allegedly purchased with stolen public funds.

“Of the hundreds of cars owned by the Noel family, I guess there are only two left?” asked Medlock.

“There's a 1959 Cadillac that doesn't have a door handle,” replied McMahon, Misty Noel's attorney. “There's also an antique patrol car,” he said.

“These are hot rods,” said the defense attorney, comparing them to “Matchbox cars.”

The extensive state investigation is still ongoing. As of last week, 76 search warrants had been issued in this massive case.

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