AP: Bush Eyes Pardon for Border Patrolmen (who shot Mexican)

[Eugene]

Bush Eyes Pardon for Border Patrolmen

By SUZANNE GAMBOA
The Associated Press
Thursday, January 18, 2007; 7:48 PM

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Thursday said a pardon was possible for two Border
Patrol agents serving prison sentences for shooting a Mexican drug dealer as he fled
and then covering up the crime.

"There's a process for pardons," Bush said, adding the case has to work its way through
the system. In an interview with KFOX-TV in El Paso, Bush urged people to "take a sober
look at the case."

-snip-

Several lawmakers have urged the president to pardon former Border Patrol agents Jose
Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos for the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who retreated
to Mexico after he was shot and later admitted he was transporting marijuana while in the
country illegally.

The agents began serving their federal prison sentences Wednesday _ 11 years and one day
for Ramos and 12 years for Compean. Both were fired after their convictions on several
charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice and a civil rights
violation.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801538.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Oh yeah?

how about for the guys who killed Matthew Shepard?

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Bush cannot pardon them

The President only has the power to pardon those convicted of federal crimes. Those murderers were convicted in state court.

[Connie_Corleone]

4. The man isn't dead.

On edit: they're in federal prison.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. They are in Wyoming State Penitentiary

http://www.answers.com/topic/matthew-shepard

[Connie_Corleone]

7. My bad. I thought you were responding to the OP, not the first post.

I was referring to the OP.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Well then, shoot.

Then maybe he can pardon all those klan members that got convicted on federal charges in the sixties.

:eyes:

[Imagevision]

8. The drug smuggler (caught with dope) is now sueing the US. Government for $5 million...

the most astonishing part of this story is that CNN's Lou Dobbs was the only media to ask for government intervention. Bush pardoned two dozen known criminals
within the past 3-4 months... So now if you were a border guard why would you draw your weapon to arrest someone smuggling drugs into the US.??

[ret5hd]

2. A few facts of the case:

http://www.elpasotimes.com/breakingnews/ci_5031310

(If they are such brave defenders of the fatherland, why did they try to hide what they did? Why didn't they repot the incident?)

<snip>
Ramos and Compean were convicted by a jury of violating the civil rights of a drug smuggler they shot in the buttocks in 2005 near Fabens as the man was fleeing to Mexico. They were also convicted of tampering with evidence for not reporting the shooting and for picking up shell casings. The trial lasted more than two and a half weeks.
</snip>

(If they were shot at, why didn't they say so, instead of claiming they "saw" a gun?)

<snip>
Supporters of the agents say the government should not have offered the drug smuggler immunity in exchange for his testimony and should have believed the agents when they said they saw a gun in the drug smuggler's hands.
</snip>

(Apparently, U.S. attorneys are calling these guys LIARS!)

<snip>
The U.S. Attorney's office sent a release today meant to debunk myths they said are circulating around the case, such as "The agents were just doing their jobs."

"An agent is not permitted to shoot an unarmed suspect who is running away," the release says. "There was no credible evidence that the agents were in a life-threatening situation or that (the smuggler) had a weapon that would justify the use of deadly force. In fact, Border Patrol Agent (Oscar) Juárez, who was at the scene, testified at trial that he did not draw his pistol because he did not believe there was a threat. He also testified that Aldrete did not have a weapon and was almost to Mexico when Agent Compean began firing at him."

The U.S. Attorney's Office also addressed the criticism that the government let the drug smuggler go free.

"Because the agents could not identify him, found no fingerprints, could not tie him to the van (full of marijuana) and did not apprehend him after shooting him, the case against (the smuggler) could not be proven," the release said.
</snip>

[Bluebear]

9. Bush urged people to "take a SOBER look"

Wow.