Posted on 01/19/2009 9:58:40 AM PST by E.G.C.
Edited on 01/19/2009 10:46:59 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON – In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.
Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were too harsh.
Rancor over their convictions, sentencing and firings has simmered ever since the shooting occurred in 2005.
Ramos and Compean became a rallying point among conservatives and on talk shows where their supporters called them heroes. Nearly the entire bipartisan congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant them clemency.
Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations, a senior administration official said.
The action by the president, who believes the border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not diminish the seriousness of their crimes, the official said...................."
At one time a person shooting a fleeing perps arse full of buckshot was not a crime almost anywhere in this nation.
Thank you, I totally agree with you......I’m sad tomorrow is coming but I have faith in God.
Thank you, GWB.
Thank you sweet Jesus of mercy, and thank you President Bush!!!
While I would have preferred a full pardon, this at least gets them out of prison and THAT is the important thing.
“Did he shoot at them, or level a gun at them. If so, these men should never have served an hour in jail and they should be reinstated”
R&S said Aldrete-Davilla had a gun. Aldrete-Davilla said he was unarmed. Aldrete-Davilla escaped over the border so if he had a gun it went with him. Johnnie Sutton chose to believe the smuggler.
Johnnie Sutton represented Aldrete-Davilla as a one-time smuggler who was trying to earn money to help his sick mother. Aldrete-Davilla’s relatives say he has been a professional drug smuggler since he was 14 and never took a load across without carrying a gun.
Thanks, Fred.
Just like with his Supreme Court appointments, Bush did the right thing once we spoke loudly and repeatedly enough.
But if you are a Protected Class, in this case a Mexican drug smuggler, then the law enforcers are criminals and you win the lottery. I’m just surprised he wasn’t given his load of marijuana back.
Thanks Pelham. It’s amazing what lengths our PAs will go to, to make sure our guys toe the line, and how little interest they have in stopping the crime and criminals they see every day, as a result of them shirking their duty.
This border situation has done more to convince me we have a corrupt government from the top to the bottom, than any other issue.
We have a president that failed for eight years to abide by his oath of office.
How much more clear could it be, that corruption goes all the way to the top.
What about Gilbert Martinez?
PINgo good take.
My thanks to all the tireless FReepers and others who spent many tiring hours campaining for the freedom of these two guys.
Glenn Beck has already planned to have their wives on his new show premiering in 75 minutes from now, he still will have them on with the better news to discuss.
Wonderful.
We are going to miss a man we can trust in the presidency.
Job well done Mr. President.
We need an email/FAX/Telephone campaign to Jeff Flake to tell him 3 DUI’s and THEN a deportation is not good enough... they get stopped, they are illegal, they get deported — period.
When in doubt what would Jack Bauer do...
Funny how so many of you cannot give the President any credit for anything.
Guess you have had the hate Bush syndrome same as the democrats.
Well - some of us appreciate the fact we had a man in the White House that would defend the country and do the very best he could. We no longer have that.
We no longer will sleep well at night during any crisis.
I thank God we had President Bush.
Don’t try to go rational on the guy. LOL It would be a severe shock to his system.
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