Posted on 02/10/2007 12:32:11 PM PST by NapkinUser
Washington - Former Border Patrol agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos have become famous in conservative circles, in a case which shows the power of talk radio and the blogosphere.
The two agents are serving prison sentences after being convicted of shooting a suspected drug smuggler and trying to cover up the incident. Many lawmakers in Washington are asking President Bush to pardon the agents, who they say were convicted wrongly for protecting the border of the United States against criminal intruders.
The agents were sentenced to 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively.
The calls for an executive pardon and a congressional investigation into the case intensified this week following reports that Ramos was assaulted in a Mississippi prison.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado, an ardent critic of illegal immigration who is pondering a run for the White House, spent about an hour with Ramos at the jail on Friday and said he had been severely beaten, with deep bruises along his arm, cuts and bruises on his chest and back, and bruises on his knees.
Ramos told the lawmaker that he had been pummeled and kicked by five or six inmates on Saturday in a planned attack while others watched after they saw him on an episode of the television show America's Most Wanted, Tancredo said. Ramos did not get medical attention until Monday and a CAT-scan showed no brain damage, the lawmaker added.
"This guy should never be walking around in an orange jumpsuit with handcuffs, he should be home with his family," Tancredo said, shortly after leaving the prison. "This is a horrible travesty."
Ramos' attorney, David L. Botsford, said that a motion is pending at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to get bail for Ramos while he plans an appeal.
A similar request was rejected by a district court, said Botsford, a prominent criminal defense attorney in Austin.
The plight of the two Border Patrol officers has become a major cause on conservative talk shows and on Web sites that promote more enforcement against illegal immigration.
The suspected drug smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, had entered the United States illegally in a van that contained more than 700 pounds of marijuana. The prosecution contends that Compean shot at him 14 times and Ramos fired once, hitting Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks as he tried to run away on foot.
The agents contend that they saw an object in Aldrete-Davila's hands that looked like a gun and that he was pointing it towards them.
Ramos and Compean were convicted a year ago on several charges including assault with a deadly weapon and intentionally defacing a crime scene. Aldrete-Davila was given immunity in the case to testify against the agents and has filed a multi- million dollar lawsuit against the U.S. government.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said this week that "the sentences in this case are too extreme given the criminal nature of the defendant and his possession of large quantities of drugs."
In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, she also said that the "aggressive prosecution of Border Patrol agents has a chilling effect on their ability to carry out their duties and on the morale of all agents."
Apparently, police could yell it, but it was never really a serious threat. Police throughout the country are trained not to use lethal force unless they or others are directly threatened.
Can you see why a an investigator, a prosecuter, and a jury might put more credence in the drug smuggler?>>>>
No, not ever. The first casualty with these types is THE TRUTH. What is that common sensical saying that seems lost on you--the fact that you get more of what you subsidize, or more commonly put, get what you pay for?
His testimony matched the testimony of 3 other BP agents.>>>
Oh sure, the ones who have now either resigned or have been fired, because...?
You crack me up. "Facts", schmacts, it don't pass the smell test for my mind, argue all day if you like to me, THE WHOLE THING STINKS
And I'd love to hear why he just couldn't follow his family over to earn a living honestly, somebody answer that
Because when the investigation first started, these three lied to investigators to help Ramos and Compean cover up the shooting. They could have each been tried for some of the same crimes Compean and Ramos were convicted of, covering up and hindering an investigation. But since they were not the shooters, they were given immunity from prosecution in exchange for them testifying about the events of the day, testimony that included them confessing that they had lied to the investigators at first and had not followed procedure about reporting a shooting. One of them even helped Compean destroy the evidence. They were fired for their lies covering up the shooting. NOT for lying in the trial. Either there are a lot of ignorant people on the pro-pardon side, or they are deliberately mischaracterizing the firings in order to confuse people into supporting their side.
Liars, liars, liars, who is lying? Who do you believe? All have been caught in a lie somewhere. But who is the biggest liar of them all? Believing the drug dealer is buying into a lie first off--I'm telling you FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE--they don't know how to tell the truth. They are so divorced from the truth it's pathetic.
Number two, the big lie that we had a unanimous jury hasn't even begun to be addressed, so conveniently forgotten.
And the "crime"? What a joke
unanimously voted to convict>>>
Well fine, Mr. Lawyer, so you want to give the jury every benefit of the doubt, which is right. But why don't you give the same due consideration to, let's see, 1/4 of the jury who said they were coerced into their guilty vote? Address this please
Well, I'm really glad that we can agree on that, your last point. The so called "crime" does not merit this sentence. If they are guilty of attempted murder I might agree with it
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