Posted on 10/19/2006 3:37:27 PM PDT by no dems
Edited on 10/19/2006 4:07:46 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Ex-border agents sentenced for shooting smuggler
AP
EL PASO, Texas -- Two former U.S. Border Patrol agents were each sentenced Thursday to more than a decade in federal prison for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler and then trying to cover it up.
Ignacio Ramos was sentenced to 11 years and one day, and Jose Alonso Compean was sentenced to 12 years. Both were fired after their convictions on several charges including assault with a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice, and a civil rights violation.
The men, neither of whom spoke in court, will be allowed to turn themselves in Jan. 17.
The agents have proclaimed their innocence in the Feb. 17, 2005, shooting of admitted drug smuggler Osvlado Aldrete Davila.
Aldrete was shot in the buttocks as he fled across the Rio Grande into Mexico after a confrontation with Ramos and Compean. The agents said they shot in self defense, but prosecutors charged that they had no reason to shoot at the fleeing man, who later claimed he was unarmed.
Since their convictions, support for the agents has swelled. Several prominent law makers, including U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House judiciary committee, have even called for a Congressional investigation into the agents' prosecutions.
The union representing most rank and file Border Patrol agents established a legal defense fund. And civilian border watch groups have asked the U.S. Attorney General's office to review the case and throw out the jury's guilty verdicts.
Well, that's interesting, because Ramos and Compean claimed to be acting in self-defense--but, by your criteria, they could not have been.
As to which story to believe, maybe I need to make this clearer:
Which version of Ramos and Compean's story should I believe? Should I believe they told the truth the first time out, where nothing supposedly happened--no struggle, no gun--with the teensy-weensy exception of neither Ramos or Compean mentioning that Ramos capped off an entire magazine for no discernable reason? Or should I believe that they lied the first time and told the truth the second time, which had them in a life-and-death shootout with an armed drug smuggler? If they lied the first time, why should I believe them the second time?
What law enforcement agency did you used to work for?
You have no home page. How interesting.
The latter. You've responded to his final post on the thread.
He's one of these self-appointed majority whip guys who demand a united front of party loyalty on FR. Apparently, he's OK with Border Patrol officers who take action against an admitted drug smuggler serving roughly five times what Lynne Stewart will after she was found guilty of helping an Islamofascist terrorist run his operation from prison.
RIGHT???
Well, apparently some of us aren't too conservative. It seems there are a few that want to give criminals a free pass. They want to give a slap on the wrist to Border Patrol Agents proven to be corrupt in a fair trial and yet give a max sentence to Agents convicted in a case with reasonable doubt. What are we to conclude from this?
This thread is about an injustice against to American law enforcment officers and you blabber about Dobbs. Shows where your loyalties are - to the OBL.
Didn't you know that it is mandatory to give an American Citizen 10 years behind bars. Different strokes for different folks.
IMHO, our entire legal system and culture has become so mired in lower priority law and socialism that we've overlooked the obvious.
A man is stopped in the commission of a major felony. He then attempts to escape and attacks the law enforcement officer.
The most pressing and obvious issue at that time is to defend the lives and safety of the officers while subdueing the criminal.
Tactically, the best defense is a good offense. If the criminal gets away, he is very likely to return with even greater force next time to lessen his risk of being thwarted in his efforts, possibly even laying an ambush for the law enforcement officers who remain exposed to the public.
IMHO, one might suggest changes in method or improvements to their efficiencies, but nothing in their behavior, intent or actions as so far reported warrants higher authority to find no fault in the criminal and excessively attack law enforcement.
Perhaps the best solution is to advertise throughout Mexico, how much undefended wealth is at the judge's residence and let human nature run its course.
"Didn't you know that it is mandatory to give an American Citizen 10 years behind bars. Different strokes for different folks."
At a press conference, "Sutton stated that the United States of American is a country where it [the law] applies to citizens."
Apparently, ONLY citizens. Illegal aliens are above that.
"IMHO, our entire legal system and culture has become so mired in lower priority law and socialism that we've overlooked the obvious. "
It's "mired" in attacking citizens and protecting illegal aliens. This is hardly the first time. At least one rancher lost his ranch to illegal aliens....
The judge was also a Bush Appointee.
Johnny Sutton, US Attorney responsible for this.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/us_attorney/index.html
[snip] Mr. Sutton also serves as the chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) which plays a significant role in determining policies and programs of the Department and in carrying out the national goals set by the President and the Attorney General.
The AGAC consists of 17 members appointed by the Attorney General and represents different judicial circuits, various-sized offices, and expertise. Mr. Sutton also serves on the Border and Immigration Law Enforcement Subcommittee of the AGAC.
US Attorney Johnny SuttonPrior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Sutton served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and as a Policy Coordinator for the Bush-Cheney Transition Team assigned to the Department of Justice.
Mr. Sutton served as the Criminal Justice Policy Director for then-Governor George W. Bush from 1995-2000, advising the Governor on all criminal justice issues, with specific oversight in the areas of criminal law, prison capacity and management, parole operations and legislative initiatives. Prior to his service in the Governor’s office, Mr. Sutton worked as a criminal trial prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (Houston, Texas) for eight years. As a prosecutor, he was lead trial counsel in over sixty felony cases, including numerous capital murder, aggravated robbery, and sexual assault cases. He is fluent in Spanish, having appeared as a television commentator for the Spanish language network Univision during the Selena homicide trial.
Also, apparently, a Mexican national was given Fourth Amendment rights.
???
In addition, a judge has released him without bail. His only punishment for now is that he is "prohibited" from using the internet.
"These types of hoaxes scare innocent people, cost business resources and waste valuable homeland security resources. We cannot tolerate this Internet version of yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater in the post-9/11 era," said U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie in Newark, N.J., where Brahm was charged in a sealed complaint filed Thursday.
What do you bet he serves less than a year, if that?
I like your plan.
Wonder why it hasn't been implemented.
Hmmmm....
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