Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents

[tekisui]

On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.

The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the two were just doing their jobs. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.

Their prison sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year.

The two were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts.

Bush has been cautious in his use of pardon powers, and particularly careful when it comes to commutations of prison terms. Where a pardon is an official forgiveness of a crime (typically requested at least five years after the completion of a prison term), a commutation is a reduction of sentence.

Before Monday, the outgoing president had granted 171 pardons and nine commutations. By comparison, President Clinton granted 396 pardons and 61 commutations, many on his last day in office. President Reagan granted 393 pardons and 13 commutations.

The White House has until noon Tuesday, when President-elect Barack Obama is to be sworn in, to grant any more clemency requests. But White House press secretary said Monday's commutations will be Bush's last acts of clemency.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/19/bush-commutes-sentences-border-patrol-agents/

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Sorry for the fux link, they were the first to have it.

ETA last paragraph. Could that be it?

[lonestarnot]

1. That's it?

[tekisui]

3. So far......

A poster said that fux news said he pardoned 107. These are the first two names.

[Catshrink]

5. I doubt it...

he's probably just getting started.

What are the odds he'll pardon Stevens? Abramoff? Cunningham?

Give "preemptive" pardons to the Dick, Gonzo, Rumsfeld, Addington, etc?

No, he's not finished yet.

[tekisui]

6. 107 according to a DUer who was watching fux.

[backscatter712]

2. Those were the assholes that shot a man in the back!

Way to deal a blow for justice, Bush! :sarcasm:

[lonestarnot]

4. Two in the same

[underpants]

7. LBN thread on it here- indeed these guys shot an unarmed DRUG DEALER then lied about it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3697110

[tekisui]

8. Could that be it?

The White House has until noon Tuesday, when President-elect Barack Obama is to be sworn in, to grant any more clemency requests. But White House press secretary said Monday's commutations will be Bush's last acts of clemency.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/19/bush-commutes-sentences-border-patrol-agents/

[lonestarnot]

9. CNN reported stated that he was told not to expect any more.

:wow:

[underpants]

10. The last final data dump

http://www.slate.com/id/2085481/