From the April 2000 Idaho Observer:

Leas saga continues to unfold--in favor of the good guy

HELMER -- The Fred Leas child custody case that The Idaho Observer has been reporting for one and a half years continues to develop -- in favor of Leas and his two girls Audrey, 13, and Hattie, 12. Leas has been attempting to gain custody of his two girls for almost seven years while the State Child Services Division, Idaho Legal Aid, Latah County Sheriff's Department, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, Judge James Stegner and others have all conspired to keep Leas' girls in the home of his ex-wife Ruth and her new husband Paul Mohr.

The Mohrs, who have since violated a court order and moved to Roswell, New Mexico, are known to be sexually deviant, violent and drug and alcohol abusive. Paul Mohr, while living in Latah county, was a known drug dealer who seems to have some underworld ties to at least one of the elected officials previously named.

In the March edition we reported that Judge Stegner had finally been recused from further hearings in the Leas matter because it was discovered in open court that Leas' probation officer Tom Blewett was the judge's cousin. Blewett was the state's main witness in a bogus probation violation charge that was manufactured to throw Leas into prison so that he would stop seeking justice for his children and, in the process, expose a coven of bureaucrats for what they really are.

The case was reassigned to Judge George Reinhardt who, it appeared, was going to be more judicious in this matter. Reinhardt even agreed to take an unsigned, anonymous letter that appeared in Leas' case file into the garbage because it was another in a seven-year littany of perverse attempts by disingenious criminals to make Leas look like a child molester. The letter, which not even Thompson would use as evidence because it was so absurd, accused Leas of taking indecent liberties with his daughters while they were with him last summer.

On March 13, Judge Reinhardt held what was reportedly a kangaroo proceeding that found Leas guilty of a probation violation and unexpectedly sentenced him to serve 135 days in jail.

The sentencing may be a blessing in disguise. Against the wishes of Prosecutor Thompson, Reinhardt gave Leas work release and allowed him to travel to Roswell to spend a week with his girls, which he did from March 25 to April 1.

Once the 135 days is up, Leas will no longer be obligated to probation for his 1997 conviction for custodial interference. Stegner's court convicted Leas for custodial interference after the desperate father rescued his girls from their mother and step father and was caught with them in South Dakota.

The Mohrs in effect committed the same crime when they moved to New Mexico, but neither the judge nor Thompson have any interest in prosecuting the Mohrs.

While in Roswell, Leas contacted the local sheriff and the local prosecutor, both of whom are sympathetic of Leas and understand the case after listening to Leas and being given copies of The Idaho Observer. Leas was told that if the Mohr's leave town without permission from the Idaho court, the sheriff will search for them.

A hearing wherein Magistrate Greg Kalbfleisch has orderd the Leas girls to finally testify has been scheduled for June 21. Those that have been persecuting Leas have done everyting in their power to keep the girls from testifying because what they have to say is going to make some people in positions of authority appear as if their actions and intentions are criminal.

Leas was also assured by the prosecutor in Roswell that if the Mohrs decide to take flight rather than appear in Idaho with the girls June 21, they will prosecute her down there and help to “bring long overdue closure to this matter.”

Now that Judge Reinhardt fully understands the implications of this matter with regard to his friend Judge Stegner, he has apparently gone back on his word and has decided not to expunge the absurd letter in the Leas file. The judge is in a pickle: How can he use the letter against Leas in a future proceeding after allowing him to spend six unsupervised days with his girls in New Mexico?

Leas feels confident that after all of these years there is soon to be closure to this ordeal. “It was hard leaving my girls down there and they wanted to come home with me, but they are strong and it will all be over soon,” said Leas.

For previous coverage of the Leas child custody battle, which is one of the worst we have ever seen, please visit The IO website at: http://www.proliberty.com/observer to see previous articles regarding the Leas case.

Note: Bill Thompson has just announced his intention to continue servicing Latah county as its prosecutor. Thompson has wasted hundreds of thousands of Latah taxpayer dollars persecuting Leas while protecting the drug dealers who have his children.