Former O.C. Official Pleads Not Guilty
Former Assistant Treasurer Matthew Raabe pleaded not guilty Tuesday to six felony counts relating to Orange County’s bankruptcy, and his attorney served notice that he will seek to move the case out of the county out of concern that his client cannot get a fair trial.
The lawyer, Gary Pohlson, told reporters that the sweeping fallout of the worst municipal financial collapse in U. S. history--and the accompanying publicity--probably will touch the lives of all potential jurors in the county and possibly throughout the state.
When asked where he would like to try the case, Pohlson quipped, “France or something.”
Assistant Dist. Atty. Jan Nolan, who is prosecuting the case in Orange County Superior Court, said she did not believe that a change of venue was necessary and would oppose such a motion.
Attorneys on both sides said they expect the trial to last as long as six months.
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