LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Editor's note: If you believe you are a victim of Jamey Noel, Special Prosecutor Ric Hertel asks you to fill out a victim impact form found here.
A date has been set for victims of former sheriff Jamey Noel's crimes to address Judge Larry Medlock and say if they think the proposed plea deal is fair.
Clark County court staff have scheduled a "continuation of a change of plea hearing and potential sentencing" for Oct. 14 at 9 a.m.
That is Columbus Day/Indigenous People's Day, which will allow the entire building to be dedicated to this hearing, with other courtrooms available for spillover spectators.
"I want the people that have been directly affected -- the families of the people that should have had better outcomes of what they (New Chapel EMS) did -- I would like them to speak on it," Suzanne Davis said, who was a paramedic for New Chapel EMS from 2020 to 2022.
Judge Medlock put out the call on Aug. 26 for "EMS workers who aren't out on the streets helping people" to speak at Noel's sentencing hearing. He was mostly talking to former New Chapel EMS employees who lost their jobs in the company's recent downsizing.
The company went from roughly 60 employees in July to just 11 people as of early September. The reason was lack of public trust, staffing issues and slow response times that led to the organization losing four contracts in 2024.
"This story struck a nerve because of the general way that --not only myself-- but my coworkers were being treated. It was a very hostile environment for me to work in, probably the most hostile place I have ever been employed with," Davis said.
A New Chapel EMS spokesperson agreed there was not an employee-focused environment when Davis worked there, but put the blame on Noel for allowing that to fester.
"The culture instilled by Jamey Noel during his years of leadership failed to put the needs of the company's employees ahead of his own selfish desires," spokesperson S. Coy Travis said in an email. "We are left to question just what could have been had the company had several million more dollars to invest in its staff - investments that could have significantly improved their physical and mental well-being."
The plea deal that Jamey Noel agreed to on Aug. 26 included a 15-year prison sentence, three years of probation afterwards, and over $3 million in restitution. The majority, $2.87 million, would go to New Chapel EMS.
Davis said the money should be returned to New Chapel, but since the company's future is currently unknown, she wants to make sure the public will get a benefit out of it.
"I honestly think a county service, a municipal/county service that is dedicated to 9-1-1 calls only would serve the area better," Davis said.
The spokesperson Mr. Travis was non-committal when talking about New Chapel's future on Monday.
"As the company's new leadership continues to evaluate where we go from here, our commitment to the community is that we will learn from the past and build something better for our friends and neighbors here in Southern Indiana. This will mean having honest and difficult discussions about who leads us, how we do things, and how we can create a positive culture," he said in part.
Regardless, Davis wants Noel to spend more than 15 years in prison.
"For somebody to have that many felonies stacked on them and only 15 years, that's crazy," she said.
Medlock has not yet approved the plea agreement, and has threatened to throw it out depending on what the public says. A maximum of 25 people will be allowed to speak at the hearing on Oct. 14, with people getting up to five minutes if all 25 slots are filled.
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