"This case is not about illegal immigration but the rule of law," said Mr. Sutton.
Posted on 07/17/2007 5:37:55 AM PDT by BGHater
A Senate hearing today into the convictions of two U.S. Border Patrol agents who shot a fleeing drug-smuggling suspect is expected to spark heated debate as the U.S. attorney who brought the charges defends the prosecutions.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton will tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that a jury in Texas heard all the evidence against agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean in their shooting of Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila and ruled it was not justified.
"This case is not about illegal immigration but the rule of law," said Mr. Sutton. "After a 2½-week jury trial, these former agents were convicted of shooting at and seriously wounding an unarmed, fleeing suspect who posed no threat to them."
Another witness, T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Counsel (NBPC) who has angrily denounced the prosecution, will challenge the government's case, saying there were only three witnesses to the incident and prosecutors believed Mr. Aldrete-Davila over the two agents.
"The only way to conclude that Agents Ramos and Compean should have been prosecuted is if the word of the known drug smuggler is given more credence than the sworn statements of two law-enforcement officers," said Mr. Bonner, whose union represents all 11,000 of the agency's nonsupervisory personnel.
The committee also will hear from Border Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar, Border Patrol Deputy Chief Luis Barker and Ramos' appellate counsel, David L. Botsford.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat and chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security, first raised questions about the prosecutions in February. Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, has ruled she will preside over the hearing.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
"This case is not about illegal immigration but the rule of law," said Mr. Sutton.
Will this be ‘live’ on C-span for the viewing public?
I agree....what about the JURY? I would never want to go in front of a jury these days.
That's called "consciousness of guilt." They should rot in prison - cops can't shoot people in the back if they pose no threat to them.
If this were in rural Midwestern America, and the person shot an American citizen, we'd all be up in arms about jackbooted-thugs. But because the victim was an illegal alien, we want him shot like a dog?
How does Traitor Sutton sleep at night?
He must want that federal judgeship really bad, to sell out these agents, and his country.
QUISLING: a synonym for traitor, someone who collaborates with the invaders of his country.
He said they should have been fired but not tried for a crime. According to him, once a weapon is fired, it becomes a crime scene.
I would not have a problem with commutation. But these guys are neither saints nor heroes.
Does anyone know if this is supposed to be televised, and if so, when? I thought I heard before that it would be broadcast.
Mr Sutton is correct.
Nor are they bad guys. Its not like they raped the suspect with a plunger.
They should never have been prosecuted, just fired. That was the opinion of the former BP agent who also wants them released from prison immediately. Their prosecution has demoralized and outraged many current BP agents.
Bush’s greatest shame is that he often lets his pride get in the way of doing the right thing. That man is nothing if not among the most bull-headed people on earth.
How does a Drug Smuggler’s mother have the home phone number of a Border Patrol Agent’s mother and why does he return the phone call to his house?
Read the trial transcripts.
It’s about time.
'mr' Sutton is a power hungry assh*le.
They didn’t know they hit him because he escaped to Mexico in a waiting van.
there’s nothing wrong with being bull-headed, when you’re right
he’s bull-headed on Iraq, and he’s right
it’s his inability to see right from wrong on anything to do with borders that’s so maddening about our President
not just our border, but Iraq’s borders too
Bush doesn’t do borders, and these agents are suffering for that lack
Again, I am basing my response on the opinion of a former BP agent with almost 40 years service. He said that there are SOPs that require them to report any discharge of their weapon and not pick up shell casings, etc. Once a weapon is discharged it becomes a possible crime scene. I left out the word possible last time.
Like the Libby case, there might not have been any crime, but it was the cover-up that was prosecuted. The real question is should they have been prosecuted for a crime or just dismissed for administrative reasons.
I hope they don’t just focus on these two guys but all LE this guy has charged with crimes.
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