Bush cuts sentences of Ramos, Compean
Agents convicted of shooting smuggler will be released from prison March 20
wnd
1:01 pm Eastern
President Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean today.
The announcement came on the last full day of Bush’s presidency. The sentences for Ramos and Compean are scheduled to expire March 20 but there was no immediate explanation for the time period between today’s announcement and that date.
Two years ago, Ramos and Compean began serving sentences of 11- and 12- years respectively for a 2005 incident in which they fired on a drug smuggler as he fled back into Mexico after bringing 750 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. near Fabens, Texas.
President Bush commuted the prison sentences of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean today.
The announcement came on the last full day of Bush’s presidency. The sentences for Ramos and Compean are scheduled to expire March 20 but there was no immediate explanation for the time period between today’s announcement and that date.
Two years ago, Ramos and Compean began serving sentences of 11- and 12- years respectively for a 2005 incident in which they fired on a drug smuggler as he fled back into Mexico after bringing 750 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. near Fabens, Texas.
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.
Wild Thing’s comment…….
They were not pardoned. Their sentences were commuted. They still stand convicted, but they will no longer serve any time. At least they will be out by March. Now the way I understand this is they will be Felons?? Is that right, that means they cannot legally have certain things like if they wanted to buy a gun or something. Is that right?
I am thrilled they will be out soon so I guess I better not complain. I just wish the whole thing cleared them since they did nothing wrong.
They will be appearing on Glenn Beck on Fox News tonight.
I just now heard Sarah Palin is also going to be on his show in a few minutes.
Update: Sorry the announcement was wrong, He had the wives of Ramos and Compean on his show. It was still good to see it. And Sarah Palin was wonderful.
….Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
It’s about time but it should have been a pardon. These men stopped a drug runner from bringing his deadly cargo into our nation to destroy our people, especially our children.
HooRay…… but, why March 20th? Why not today/tomorrow? Why do they have two more months?
I don’t understand.
The drug dealer they shot, brought 750 pounds of drugs into the country. They should have been rewarded for stopping it. But there has to be something to do with the Mexican Government that Bush was trying to honor. I don’t know. None of this makes any sense. It sends a message to the Mexican drug cartel that you get free passage into the US. Is this the legacy Bush wants.
He has pardoned other lowlifes, why couldn’t he pardon these two Border agents ? Who at least mad a contribution to keeping the country safe.
I can’t give Bush a pass on this one. He pardoned ‘Scooter’ Libby, for a crime he probably did commit, although was never found guilty of what he was charged with, but he got a pardon.
But these two family men, will be tainted for the rest of their lives. Yes, I believe they will be considered Felons.
This has to do with Johnny Sutton, the dirtbag lawyer, Bush and there has to be a third party involved that we don’t know about.
Bush screwed up on this one. He only commuted the sentences of Ramos and Compean but leaves them convicted felons, unable to vote, not able to own a gun, and probably permanently disqualified from ever getting a meaningful job in law enforcement. In doing so, Bush leaves a large blemish on his own record for punishing these men for doing the job that they were hired to do in protecting the country. It would have been easy to do the right thing and this is something that George Bush will regret not doing for the rest of his life.
It should be a pardon, but we’ll take what we can get. It’s fabulous to see them getting out of prison. Another reason to be happy. They can protest and try and get Obamanation to fully pardon them, but that is probably a lost cause. Their wives were very sweet and showed how much they love these two men who came into their lives and completed them.
Sarah was so adorable! She talked about ordering herself at Dairy Queen and how Trig has glasses now. (Many Downs children have visual problems) and how proud she is of him just like her other kids. She’s a fantastic, classy lady.
This action by Bush, fully demonstrates how badly the Republican Party has lost it’s way. I for one refuse to hold my nose again while voting for a ‘Republican’ that doesn’t represent my values. What have we heard about the new RNC chairman? Seems to me they should have voted by now or very soon.
They are still able to appeal to the Supreme Court to have the convictions overturned and lose the felon label.
My feeling was that Bush would have gave them a pardon if they hadn’t tried to cover it up.
The interview on Beck was great…now those women have class.
I missed it and also Governor Palin. However a little to little a little to late, but like you all say at least they will be out.
Bob A.
I am glad Bush finally did something. However, there is still a Texas deputy sheriff sitting in jail for shooting at aliens. He is another victim of Sutton.
Should have been a complete pardon with back pay, but our prayers were answered. Can they be pardoned by a governor ?
Pres. Bush didn’t pardon Libby, at least not as of yesterday. He commuted his sentence like these guys, in 2007.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/180448
Well thank you Eden for pointing that out. So gracious of you.
I agree that Mexico is getting ridiculous with their demands for prosecution anytime U.S. law enforcement uses lethal force against an illegal. I also agree that the sentences were to harsh, and am glad to see them commuted. However, use of a potentially deadly force should reserved for preservation of life, not to stop somebody running away faster than you can catch him. Shooting a fleeing man in the back has always been considered a disgrace, and whether the smuggler was an illegal or not, what these men did was still wrong.
In my opinion Ryan, they should have killed the illegal drug dealing bastard.
There is an old saying…..”Dead men don’t talk”. If they were going to shoot them, they should have finished the job and then maybe they wouldn’t have been in prison. But being the responsible men that they are, they did what they thought was right. It bit them in the ass.
Bush should have pardoned both of these men. He was completely wrong in not doing so. They did not kill anyone. And I’m sorry Ryan, but I don’t totally agree with you. What was the illegal doing just before he turned and started to run away? And how do we know he wouldn’t have turned around and started to cause more serious problems? People who break the law have to know that there will be consequences for their actions.