By Associated Press
Marion, AL – A lawyer representing former state trooper charged with murder in the 1965 shooting death of a black man said he will seek to have the charges dismissed. Attorney George Beck said the case is prejudiced against his client because of the passage of time and the death of witnesses who could help the defense.
73-year-old James Fowler contends he fired in self-defense in a struggle over a gun. A Perry County grand jury indicted him Wednesday on first-degree and second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson. He was allowed to remain free on a 250-thousand dollar property bond.
District Attorney Michael Jackson, who is not related to the victim, said that in probing the four-decade-old case he learned that Fowler also shot a detainee to death in 1966 at the city jail in Alabaster and struck his trooper superior officer in 1968.
Fowler did not comment on the two incidents Thursday. Beck said he was uncertain about details of the Alabaster shooting, but he said the 1968 altercation occurred when Fowler was mourning the death of his brother in Vietnam and there was a disagreement over sick pay.
No court date was announced for Fowler.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)