Rick Morse, the defense attorney for Peter Simonds, filed a motion for change of venue Feb. 4 in an attempt to shift Simonds’ case to Knox County.
Simonds, a former fourth grade teacher at Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta, was indicted Aug. 19 on 22 charges of unlawful sexual contact and unlawful sexual touching.
The charges stem from a series of alleged incidents involving seven female students.
Morse cited “overwhelming” publicity in The Lincoln County News and multiple state news outlets as cause for the change.
According to the motion, “[Simonds] has quickly gained notoriety in Lincoln County based on the news of his arrest and the nature of the offense.”
A hearing on the motion has been scheduled for Thurs., March 3 at 8:30 a.m. in Lincoln County Superior Court.
According to court documents, a trial has been set for docket call on Monday, March 7.
