Pardon Ramos and Compean now[Washington Times Editorial]

The Washington Times ^ | 17 Dec 2007 | Washington Times Editorial

[BGHater]

Last week, the White House released a list of 29 pardons issued by President Bush. It included drug dealers, carjackers, a moonshiner, a man convicted of stealing government property and another for receiving kickbacks in military procurement contracts. Conspicuously missing were former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean — who are currently serving 11- and 12-year federal prison sentences, respectively, for shooting a suspected drug smuggler in the buttocks on Feb, 17, 2005, about 30 miles southeast of El Paso. The border agents were convicted by a federal jury on charges that included assault with a dangerous weapon; lying about the incident; and violating the alleged smuggler's Fourth Amendment right to be protected against illegal search and seizure. The Ramos/Compean prosecutions are but one in a series of questionable ones undertaken against law enforcement personnel who used force against criminals or illegal aliens by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, a longtime political ally of Mr. Bush.

The man the agents shot, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, fled to Mexico after refusing Ramos's and Compean's orders to stop and abandoning a van carrying 743 pounds of marijuana. Mr. Aldrete-Davila was located in Mexico by an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general and offered immunity for his testimony against the border agents. The suspected drug smuggler subsequently filed a $5 million suit against the federal government for violating his civil rights. "This case represents the worst kind of distorted and upside-down values," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, California Republican, said last year. "The drug smugglers are treated like innocent victims and the good guys protecting our borders are given the harshest possible punishment."

[Theodore R.]

Even if all you wrote is exact, the punishment has already been sufficient, and the two must start new careers if the liberals ever let them out.

[highball]

Even if all you wrote is exact, the punishment has already been sufficient, and the two must start new careers if the liberals ever let them out.

Not if they're pardoned - a pardon would let these crooked cops back into law enforcement.

How can the punishment be "sufficient" if the judge threw out the mandatory sentence in favor of one 1/5 as long?

Are mandatory sentences good enough for other crooks but not these two? If you're for removing all mandatory sentences, you could perhaps make that case. Are you?