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SENTENCING OF SHOE-BOMBER, REMARKS BY JUDGE WILLIAM YOUNG
not sure -- email | 4-29-03 | SELF

Posted on 04/29/2003 5:35:09 AM PDT by Jerrybob

Ruling by Judge William Young

U.S. District Court Judge William Young made the following statement in sentencing "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to prison. It is noteworthy, and deserves to be remembered far longer than he predicts. I commend it to you and to anyone you might wish to forward it to.

January 30, 2003 United States vs. Reid. Judge Young: Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General.

On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutive with the other. That's 80 years.

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate fine of $2 million.

The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you the $800 special assessment.

The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence. Let me explain this to you.

We are not afraid of any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect.

Here in this court , where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings we reach out for justice, you are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist.

And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders.

In a very real sense Trooper Santigo had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were and he said you're no big deal. You're no big deal.

What your counsel, what your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today? I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing. And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you. But as I search this entire record it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose.

Here, in this society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely.

It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed appeals, will go on in their, their representation of you before other judges. We are about it. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden, pay any price, to preserve our freedoms.

Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow it will be forgotten. But this, however, will long endure. Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice,individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done.

The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged, and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. You know it always will.

Custody Mr. Officer. Stand him down.

How much of this Judge's comments did you hear on our TV sets? Please pass this around. Everyone needs to hear what the judge had to say.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: richardreid; shoebomber; terrorism; williamyoung
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Some classy remarks here.
1 posted on 04/29/2003 5:35:09 AM PDT by Jerrybob
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To: Jerrybob
I remember this. Truer words were never spoken. And by a judge, no less!
2 posted on 04/29/2003 5:39:31 AM PDT by Trust but Verify
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To: Jerrybob
He's so ugly he won't even get sex in prison.~~Jay Leno
3 posted on 04/29/2003 5:41:14 AM PDT by rvoitier
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To: Jerrybob
I heard nothing of this. Nothing. How sad that we can't celebrate words that speak directly to our hearts and minds.
This is one for the printer/my archives. Thanks for posting.
4 posted on 04/29/2003 5:41:21 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: sarasota
I love this part: "The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further." That's classy. That's like saying "I'm sentencing you to 80 years in prison; I know you may not live that long -- just do the best you can."
5 posted on 04/29/2003 5:45:21 AM PDT by Jerrybob
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To: Jerrybob; joanie-f; Dukie; JohnHuang2; k.trujillo; Travis McGee; Critter; Lurker; harpseal; ...
BIG BUMP and PING on this. Johnhuang2 and madfly, please ping your lists.

Please ... everyone read this Judge's comments to Reid, the shoe bomber. He nails so much that is important and good about our Republic and way of life ... and what should be occuring in our judicial system.

Please pass this around your email lists. This should be something every American reads, particularly the outh.

I will have this up on my Attack on America Site today.

6 posted on 04/29/2003 6:13:09 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Jerrybob
BTTT
7 posted on 04/29/2003 6:20:11 AM PDT by hattend
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To: Jeff Head
Thanks for the ping

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. You know it always will.

& Bttt
8 posted on 04/29/2003 6:21:53 AM PDT by firewalk
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To: Jerrybob
the very winds carry freedom
9 posted on 04/29/2003 6:36:19 AM PDT by IronJack
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To: Jerrybob; Jeff Head
Thanks for recycling the great remarks by this wonderful judge.

If we only had 1,000s of judges like William Young , America would be stronger.

I wish that we had a video of the ACLU Trial Lawyers to see their faces while Judge William Young made these remarks.

10 posted on 04/29/2003 6:51:54 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Being a Monthly Donor to Free Republic is the Right Thing to do!)
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To: Jerrybob
Bravo, Judge Young! You're a plain-spoken man, not unlike my favorite President!
11 posted on 04/29/2003 6:59:37 AM PDT by mombonn
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Why is the word "snopes" stuck in my head?
12 posted on 04/29/2003 6:59:52 AM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (Justice is the one thing you should always find. Saddle up your boys and draw a hardline.)
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To: Jerrybob
Bravo!
13 posted on 04/29/2003 7:07:34 AM PDT by blam
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To: Grampa Dave
I wish that we had a video of the ACLU Trial Lawyers to see their faces while Judge William Young made these remarks.

Agreed 100%.

14 posted on 04/29/2003 7:15:18 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: big ern
You know ... you may be right and I will check it out. Should have done that first, but I just noticed the source ... or properly said, lack thereof.

If it is wrong ... I apologize ... but they are good words just the same. I'll check back.

Jeff

15 posted on 04/29/2003 7:16:56 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Jerrybob
BUMP
16 posted on 04/29/2003 7:20:53 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (We are crushing our enemies, seeing him driven before us and hearing the lamentations of the liberal)
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To: big ern; Grampa Dave; blam; All
The words are accurate.

Here are some links:

Richard Reid gets Life in Prison, CNEWS

Exchange between Reid and Judge follows Sentencing, CNN

17 posted on 04/29/2003 7:25:13 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Jeff Head
Thanks for the links. This judge was great and summarized how all of us who care about America, really feel about these scumbags who try to kill innocent Americans.
18 posted on 04/29/2003 7:28:51 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Being a Monthly Donor to Free Republic is the Right Thing to do!)
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To: Jerrybob
These words are accurate and can be courced. Here are some links you can use to document it:

Richard Reid gets Life in Prison, CNEWS

Exchange between Reid and Judge follows Sentencing, CNN

19 posted on 04/29/2003 7:29:20 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Grampa Dave
Now have these words up on my Attack on America Site.

Shoe Bomber Sentenced

20 posted on 04/29/2003 7:30:01 AM PDT by Jeff Head
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