The Abuse of Border Patrol Agents(George Putnam)

NewsMax.com ^ | Feb. 23, 2007 | George Putnam

[kellynla]

It is this reporter's opinion that it is now time to tell the story of former Border Patrol agent Gary Brugman — how in the performance of his duty he was falsely charged and convicted of violating the civil rights of an illegal caught entering the U.S. at the Mexican border.

The case of Brugman, along with the cases of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, Gilmer Hernandez, David Sipe, and others unjustly accused, serves as proof of the malicious prosecution brought by the U.S. attorney, Johnny Sutton, against our brave and dedicated law enforcement officers who dare to uphold our immigration laws.

Just as in the Ramos and Compean case, Sutton collaborated with the Mexican Consulate to locate a deported Mexican national, paying his way to the U.S. to testify against a dedicated border patrol agent (Brugman) on false assault charges.

What incentive was given for his testimony? It is known that a member of the smuggler's family, his daughter, received chemotherapy treatment in the U.S.

A scandalous twist orchestrated by the Sutton prosecution against Brugman was that Sutton brought the convicted and incarcerated drug smuggler from his prison cell to testify against Brugman — the same drug smuggler agent he had captured six weeks prior to the incident for which he was being prosecuted.

Once again, as in the case of Ramos and Compean, there was no previous accusation of a violation to the smuggler's civil rights. But as in the case of Ramos and Compean, the Sutton gang labeled Brugman a rogue cop.

Tragically, no one listened to Gary Brugman's story several years ago — he spent two years in the general population at federal prisons. Because of the constant threats against his life, he was forced to wrap himself in newspapers and magazines taped to his body as protection against inmate knifing attacks.

Gary Brugman lost everything, and his life was totally ruined. But thank God, he survived his sentence and is now a free man.

Brugman, a patriotic American, now tells his story in an effort to help Ramos and Compean, and Hernandez to prove their innocence against the power, influence, and treachery of President Bush, our attorney general, Alberto Gonzalez, and their "Charlie McCarthy" U.S. attorney Johnny Sutton.

The prosecution in the course of Brugman's sham of a trial called a convicted drug smuggler to the stand to testify against him — the same drug smuggler he had captured who had been convicted of smuggling and sentenced to over five years in prison.

They brought the convicted criminal into court escorted by a deputy U.S. marshal who actually sat behind him on the witness stand as he testified against Brugman.

Sutton, on more than one occasion, admitted he was prosecuting Brugman to make an example of him.

During a 20-minute recess in the trial, Brugman found himself in the restroom with Sutton's prosecuting attorney.

Brugman looked him in the eye and asked why he was doing this to him.

To which Sutton's man replied, "It's not a matter of if you are going to prison, it's a matter of how long you're going to prison for. I have a $50 million budget to make sure you're going."

Sutton, at one point, called the Mexican Consulate in Eagle Pass, Texas to help him locate and bring the drug smuggler back into the U.S., offering the dope smuggler immunity and health care for his family in exchange for false testimony against Brugman.

All of this false information was sealed by the judge and withheld during the trial. Brugman says the drug smuggler even testified he did not want to testify against Brugman but was pressured by both the Mexican and U.S. government to do so.

Says Brugman, "The recent exposure of the facts of the Compean and Ramos case, and that of Deputy Hernandez, has torn me apart. I now know how it feels and it is terrifying. God bless these agents and this deputy. May He be with them and their families every moment of the day."

Meanwhile, when will Sutton be exposed for his illegal actions as he represents the power structure of the Bush/Gonzalez abuse of our American judicial system by bringing false prosecutions and imprisonment against loyal border patrol officers?

And there you have another story — the story of Border Patrol Agent Brugman and his unjust prosecution at the hands of Sutton and his gang.

[freekitty]

What in the world has come over our President and how he allows innocent men to be falsely imprisoned? This is totally unacceptable. I think he has put America in a position to look weak as well.

[Dante3]

I saw recently a show on how Mexico has become a major source for meth in this country. That is one horrible drug.

I wonder how long before some of the disrupters who hate the BP agents, support drug dealers, and/or are in the pay of the Sutton crowd will show up on this thread.

There is one poster (Charlie somebody - I forgot the name) who is going into a frenzy on this top and spreading all kinds of misinformation. He/she has made it practically a full time job.

[kellynla]

"we can't just simply evict 18 million illegals."


According to George W. Bush himself they have DEPORTED SIX MILLION ILLEGALS under his administration.
So if they can deport six, they sure as hell can deport 12, 18, 24, however many there are!

Someone needs to remind Bush that the last four letters of American are "I CAN!"

After all, Ike did it, so can Bush!

[kellynla]

"What in the world has come over our President?"

He doesn't want to upset his in-laws! LOL

[sheana]

Haven't you given up on GWB yet? I have.......period.

[highball]

Haven't you given up on GWB yet? I have.......period.

I'm really close.

For every positive, we seem to find two negatives. This is really frustrating.

[TBP]

Dubya won't pardon these agents, even though he should,m because it would upset Mexico. Dubya seems to think he can get along with all our enemies -- Democrats, Mexico, Iran, North Korea, etc.

[RJL]

Bush & Sutton attack on the Border Patrol bump.

[CharlesWayneCT]

To which Sutton's man replied, "It's not a matter of if you are going to prison, it's a matter of how long you're going to prison for. I have a $50 million budget to make sure you're going."

It is highly unlikely that, in the middle of a trial, the accused ended up unguarded in a bathroom with a prosecuting attorney, much less that a prosecuting attorney would say this or anything to him, when the correct response is "you have a lawyer, I am forbidden to have conversations with you".

And the response doesn't even make sense based on the supposed question.

[CharlesWayneCT]

You keep saying that like it has relevance, when it's been explained to you that it doesn't.

[CharlesWayneCT]

By 2008, those actions will be illegal because we'll be stuck with a democrat-written immigration bill.

[CharlesWayneCT]

The rationale is not given. In these cases, the criminals had finished their sentences and are out of prison. The pardons are to clear their record, usually because they want to be allowed to vote, or want a job or a clearance or a right that is withheld from convicted felons.

Usually it's initiated because of that need, and the justice department does an investigation to see if the pardon is warranted.

Bush by all accounts treats this as a matter for his justice department, and has no personal requests for pardons in the mix, unlike the way Clinton ran his pardons.

Drug offenses are ripe for pardons because there are so many of them and they often are non-violent offenses.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Why don't you post 3 pieces of "misinformation" i posted on the topic of Ramos and Compean, and I'll defend myself.

You make the claim, now back it up.

[RushingWater]

It is highly unlikely that, in the middle of a trial, the accused ended up unguarded in a bathroom with a prosecuting attorney, much less that a prosecuting attorney would say this or anything to him, when the correct response is "you have a lawyer, I am forbidden to have conversations with you".

Hmm, I can remember my dad, a doctor, coming face to face with this malpractice accuser's family outside the courthouse during his trial. Clearly there's something horribly wrong going on here and a lot of "honesty" can be blurped out "off the record" in an intense judicial situation.

[kellynla]

"You keep saying that like it has relevance?"

It might not be relevant to you but it sure as hell is relevant to the two incarcerated BP agents and their families!


gezzzzzz...the IQ level around here drops by the minute!

[radar101]

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/us_attorney/index.html

Johnny Sutton, United States Attorney
On October 25, 2001, Johnny Sutton was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. On November 30, 2001, the United States Senate confirmed the President’s appointment.
As United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Johnny Sutton represents the United States in criminal and civil matters within the District. The Western Judicial District of Texas is composed of more than 93,000 square miles, approximately 660 miles of border with the Republic of Mexico, 68 Texas Counties, and three of Texas’ major metropolitan areas, San Antonio, El Paso and Austin. The District has over 260 employees including 118 Assistant United States Attorneys.

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.

Prior 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., 0and 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.

Mr. Sutton is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in International Business in 1983, and the University of Texas School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1987. As an undergraduate, he played baseball for the Longhorns and was the starting left-fielder on the 1983 National Championship team.

Johnny Sutton
United States Attorney
Western District of Texas
601 N.W. Loop 410, Suite 600
San Antonio, Texas 78216
Telephone (210) 384-7400

[CharlesWayneCT]

No. Bush pardoning 5 drug convictions after their sentences have been served is not relevant to "finding time to pardon the BP agents", unless you are pushing for them to be pardoned in 10 years after they are finished serving their sentences.

The pardons Bush signed went through a long process of justice department review after the convicts had completed their punishments, and Bush followed the recommendations of the justice department.

This isn't like the Clinton white house pardoning people he knew or who paid him. Bush pardons people who come up through the justice department.

Your statement is irrelevant to the facts, and is made solely to inflame the passions of people in the hopes they will join you in the lynching of Bush and Sutton and the freeing of convicted felons without regard to fact.

Note I didn't say "contrary to fact", I said without regard to fact.

[Fiji Hill]

It makes me happy to see that George Putnam is still in there pitching. He has been in broadcasting since the 1930's, and I have been a fan of his since the 1960's, when I first saw him on TV. In July, he will turn 93.

[FOXFANVOX]

Charles, I think that you are missing the point. I'll cede you that there is a process in place to screen pardons, but that process is accomplished by the Justice Dept. The DoJ is the department waging this prosecution against the USBP Agents. The questions are:

+ Why is a pardon [regardless of time served] deemed justifiable in the case of people found guilty of distributing cocaine, among other drugs, which takes planned behavior, and yet not justifiable for Agents who, after a 10 year [Ramos] career, perhaps made a bad choice in behavior over a 15-30 second period. Let's not forget that at the time of this incident Agent Ramos had been nominated as Agent of the Year!

+ Why is emphasis placed on the smuggler's veracity, proved to be questionable, over the Agent's veracity which is only probably questionable [understandably so considering the response of the prosecution]. Many of us are not arguing the guilt as much as the reason for the trial, the excessive charges levied, the undue influence on the various witnesses by the prosecutor. And most of all the serial abuse of power by Johnny Sutton who continues to hold others to a standard of justice that he refuses to hold his own department to.

[stephenjohnbanker]

"Brugman looked him in the eye and asked why he was doing this to him.

To which Sutton's man replied, "It's not a matter of if you are going to prison, it's a matter of how long you're going to prison for. I have a $50 million budget to make sure you're going."

If true, no better than the mafia!