Pa. Judge Wants His Insurance Fraud Trial Moved To Pittsburgh

Former Pa. Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce wants his federal insurance fraud trial moved out of Erie to U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.

Joyce’s attorney says news coverage of the case has generated enormous prejudice toward the defendant and spawned a “media feeding frenzy” in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Federal trials in Erie draw jurors from Erie, Crawford, Elk, Forest, McKean, Venago and Warren counties. If the trial is moved to Pittsburgh, the jurors would be drawn from southwestern Pennsylvania counties where there has been less media coverage.

Joyce is accused of defrauding two insurance companies out of $440,000 by allegedly exaggerating loss claims stemming from a 2001 car accident.