Evening star., 1954-10-09
A Futher's Protest

The Montgomery County Chief of
Police released story about the alleged
participation of my son, James Fieser,
in the Bethesda bombing incidents to
the Official Detective Stories, October
issue. This magazine is now on sale
in the Bethesda and Rockville area
and it will be read by the people from
whom a jury will be selected to try
my son.
This story says that my son was not
a juvenile at the time of one of the
alleged bombingS. That is false. This
story says that my son confessed to
participating in all of the bombings
mentioned in this story This is false.
The story further says that my son
owned an expensive car. This also is
false The story is an attempt on the
part of the Montgomery County Police
Department to pretty my son and to
persuade a jury to try him on the facts
as they appear in this national mag
azine, rather than on the facts as they
develop during the trial.
The Official Detective magazine is a
cheap magazine that will now be cir
culated among the youth of Mont
gomery County. The Montgomery
County Police Department has increased
this circulation to the detriment of our
youth, knowing full well the nature of
this magazine and the fact that it
would be read before the trial of my
son, James Fieser.
know that the Constitution pre-
serves the freedom of the press. know
that the law permits fair coverage
of crime even before trial I also
know that the Constitution guarantees
to every citizen the right of fair trial.
I ask every reader of this letter to read
the article in the Official Detective
magazine and then to ask themselves
the question: Is the Montgomery
County Police Department, by publish
ing this article, not violating the very
spirit and letter of the Constitution it
is sworn to uphold? 1 suggest that the
readers of that article ask themselves
what protection they have against
police department which will sink so
low as to release to pulp magazine It's
confidential information.
Il suggest that the readers ask them
selves the question for what purpose
did the Police Department release such
an article? Is it's case against my son so
weak that they seek to convict him out
side of court? Is the morale of the
Police Department so low that it must
trample upon the rights of Montgomery
County citizens for their selt-glori-
fication?
1t has been suggested to me that it
will now be impossible for my son to
obtain a fair and just trial before the
Circuit Court for Montgomery County
Maryland My son was put in this
position because of the action Of the
Police Department. BY participating
in the publication of this article, it has
made it impossible for my son to be
tried before a jury selected from per-
sons who have known me and my son
for our entire lives. BY the publication,
the Police Department has in effect not
only denied my son the right to a fair
trial, but has denied him the right
and privilege to be tried before a dis
tinguished court and a select group of
jurors.
James L. Fieser.
Editors note: Montgomery County
Police Chief Orme has denied to The
Star that he had anything to do with
publication of the article in question.
He declared he had refused. in the
presence of Detective 1t. John B. Leahy
and Capt Alton Harding. to supply any
sentative. Chief Orme characterized
the magazine article as "a disgrace
and said it would be investigatedD