Hill letter urges Bush 'review' of jailed agents' case (Duncan Hunter Alert)

Wash times ^ | 7/30/08 | Jerry Seper

[pissant]

Thirty-one members of Congress on Wednesday asked President Bush for an "immediate review" of the convictions of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were sentenced in 2006 to lengthy prison terms for shooting a drug-smuggling suspect in the buttocks as he fled back to Mexico.

"Should you be unwilling to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean, as some of us have advocated, we ask that you then consider commuting their sentences to time served," the Republican lawmakers said in a letter.

"Your intervention in this matter will not only serve to correct this injustice, but also help reverse the damage these convictions have caused to the men and women of the Border Patrol," the lawmakers said. "Once again, we respectfully request that you intervene on behalf of Agents Ramos and Compean, and remove them from federal custody."

Written by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, the letter was signed by fellow Republican Reps. David Dreier, Dana Rohrabacher, Brian P. Bilbray, Ken Calvert, Ed Royce, John Campbell, John T. Doolittle, Howard P. "Buck" McKeon and Gary G. Miller of California; Trent Franks of Arizona; John L. Mica and C.W. Bill Young of Florida; Christopher H. Smith, Frank A. LoBiondo and H. James Saxton of New Jersey; Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee; John Carter, Ted Poe and John Culberson of Texas; Tom Tancredo and Doug Lamborn of Colorado; Phil Gingrey of Georgia; Steve King of Iowa; Walter B. Jones of North Carolina; John M. McHugh of New York; Frank R. Wolf and Virgil H. Goode Jr. of Virginia; Don Young of Alaska; Joseph R. Pitts of Pennsylvania; and Todd Akin of Missouri.

[pissant]

We need to call the Whitehouse and urge the President to pardon these men.

[pissant]

DH/Ramos/Compean ping

[pissant]

The lawmakers argued that the 10-year mandatory sentences were “never intended” to apply to law-enforcement officers acting within their official duties. They called the charge “excessive and disproportionate to the violation, particularly when Agents Ramos and Compean were in pursuit of a known drug dealer and on duty at the time of the incident.”

Additionally, they said the court panel failed to take into consideration the fact that the drug dealer was identified by DEA agents as he smuggled a second load of narcotics into the country.

They said this occurred after Mr. Aldrete-Davila was granted immunity for his first smuggling attempt in exchange for his testimony, but that information was withheld from the jury during trial and overlooked by the 5th Circuit. They said the omissions raised “serious doubts about his credibility and testimony.”

[SmithL]

These men have been treated unjustly, but the President will take no action until after the election. Bet on it.

[Joann37]

Yes, let’s do it. I don’t know the preferred method of contacting them (phone, fax or e-mail), but the contact info. is shown here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

BTW, it’s gonna be sad to have Duncan Hunter leaving the House this year. He has been an excellent public servant, and a consistent conservative in virtually all areas. Let’s hope John McCain can find a good cabinet position for him in his administration.

[Tennessee Nana]

Written by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California

Bless that wonderful man...

Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee...

You Go girl

:)

[pissant]

It would help the GOP if he did it NOW.

[pissant]

perhaps. I’m looking for Duncan to be the FALCON nominee in 2012. ;o)

[pissant]

She’s a good one. Hunter/Blackburn 2012!

[SoCalPol]

Hunter is a Republican and his son who is the sure winner for his seat this year is a Republican

[pissant]

Of course he is a GOPer. An original 1980 Reaganite. That is why he would love Falcon much more than the crumbling party around him.

[SmithL]

So? It still won’t happen, but I’d love to be proven wrong.

[pissant]

Bush surprises us now and again.

[Anti-Bubba182]

If he does pardon them it will probably be at the very end of his term or at least after the election. He should also pardon Scooter Libby.

[Tennessee Nana]

Yeppers I voted for Duncan..

his lovely bumper sticker is still on my back window..

I’ve decided it will stay there...

Hunter/Blackburn 2012!

Dont that sound grand !!!!!

[Tennessee Nana]

I’m looking for Duncan to be the FALCON nominee in 2012. ;o)
___________________________________________

?????????????????????????????????????

[pissant]

It sounds fantastic.

[pissant]

http://falconparty.com/

[SoCalPol]

Hey there TN. Hunter has been on this big time and also
after a lot of court battles, his border fence is proceeding here.

I see Tancredo is flapping around trying to get credit
for Hunter’s work as usual.

[SoCalPol]

AS long as folks buy into the MSM’s attacks on the Republicans the Dems will win.

[pissant]

I give no credence to anything the MSM says. I observe with my eyes and ears what is transpiring with the GOP.

[Tennessee Nana]

Thanks...

I added the FALCON website to my fave...

[SoCalPol]

I have been following politics for ove 48 yrs.
Also worked for Reagan when he first ran for Gov.
There will always be two parties.
When one side is split with various candidates and party names the democrats win.

[Tennessee Nana]

I see Tancredo is flapping around trying to get credit
for Hunter’s work as usual.
________________________________________

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

And that guy Tancredo endorsed for the GOP nomination...

Romney ??? was that the name ???

;)

Romney used photo OP pics of him by Duncan’s fence and didnt even give Duncan the credit...

Duncan Hunter is a class act...

a gentleman...

a REAL conservative..

[pissant]

Reagan is spinning in his grave over the fall from conservative principles the GOP has had.

[Tennessee Nana]

Reagan was a class act...

and when the Romneybots say Romney is just like Reagan, I want to spit...

Nails, thunderbolts...

[billmor]

And he should also pardon the Haditha Marines so they can turn around and sue the starch out of Jack Murtha and the MSM....

[SoCalPol]

Spot On

[PhilDragoo]

WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE 1-202-456-1111

EMAILED TO CONGRESSMAN

Dear Congressman [deleted]

Thirty-one members of Congress on Wednesday asked President Bush for an "immediate review" of the convictions of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

I note Congressman [deleted] signed this letter, and that you, Sir, did not.

As I have told you in past correspondence, we left [deleted] where we'd lived for thirty-four (34) years due to the foul invasion of Mexicans which have made it a crime-ridden, drug-infested Third World country.

In the final days a friend who was a cashier at Wal-Mart was struck and robbed at the register where she stood by a Mexican.

A major drug dealer the DEA sought internationally was tracked down to an apartment a block from the middle school across the street.

Yet Johnny Sutton LIED to the jury about Aldrete-Davila, the Mexican who had recently run loads of 770 pounds and one thousand (1,000) pounds, that his own MOTHER said he ALWAYS traveled ARMED--and Sutton created a case to put Ramos and Compean in prison for a decade while protecting Aldrete-Davila so he could SUE our government.

I want you to learn the ugly truth about this case--that it looks a lot like Johnny Sutton is protecting a drug dealer and jailing LEOs who interfere with the drug trade. Johnny Sutton who couldn't be bothered when Texas Youth Camp officials were accused of molesting the youth in their charge.

And I would like to know just why you did not sign when [deleted] did.

Is there a big Mexican vote in this District. Is the media propaganda, the La Raza legal team, the whole racket of cheap labor for big business and big agriculture making it politically expedient to keep the Mexicans and their drugs flowing.

I don't like the wreckage that these criminals are making of our society--Ramos and Compean get busted for trying to stop it--and you won't help them.

Don't bother with the boilerplate form letter. Signing the letter is the only good answer.

[Anti-Bubba182]

I think only one is still in legal jeopardy. The others are cleared and no pardon is necessary.

[South40]

Let’s hope John McCain can find a good cabinet position for him in his administration.

McAmnesty would never nominate Hunter for a thing. He's more likely to nominate fellow liberals like himself.

[South40]

We need to call the Whitehouse and urge the President to pardon these men.

Bush will never do that, it flies in the face of his goal of amnesty and appeasing the hordes of scum to the south.

[potlatch]

If Bush doesn’t pardon them before he leaves office - he needs his rear end kicked!!

[UCFRoadWarrior]

It would help the GOP if Ramos/Compean are pardoned immediately. It will bring back conservatives

It is sad that this President values the rights of an illegal alien drug dealer over the rights of Hispanic American law enforcement.

Conservatives wasted their votes on Bush. We will not be wasting votes on McCain

[Califreak]

Would Hunter even stoop that low in the first place?

I doubt it.

[devolve]

.

I doubt that Bush will pardon them

[cherry]

Bush showing once again what a wimp he is....

[Califreak]

Thanks for posting.

George Miller got a please do something note, Duncan Hunter received yet another heartfelt thank you.

[Joe Boucher]

Allowing these two Border Patrol Officers to rot in jail for trying to do their jobs is just one of tthe many reasons to be disappointed in President Bush.
Harriet Myers.
Amnesty.
Spending like a drunk sailor
Not hitting Iran with the kitchen sink for killing our troops.
His allowing Kennedy to write his education bill.
I can go on here.

[Calpernia]

Hunter's Rangers

Border Ping

[Bob J]

Nothing but election year pandering and you all are falling for it.

Hunter could introduce legislation tomorrow (or 2 years ago) that would clarify how the 10 year mand is applied to LEO’s so they are not subject to it if they make a judgement mistake while acting in the line of duty, with exceptions for premeditation or corruption.

With the support you say Ramos and Compeon have in Congress, it could be fasttracked and on the Prez’s desk in less than a month. Once it is signed their attorney could take it to a federal judge who would order their immediate release. Not only would it help R&C it would protect all future LEO’s subject to the same situation.

But they haven’t done this. Not Hunter, not Tancredo not any of the pols who claim they are so horrified at them being in prison.

Why? This baby is a PR and fundraising miracle that keeps giving and giving.

Now the usual suspects will come on say this is impossible (why wouldn’t they support/explore something that could have R&C out quickly? Hmmm...) but I’ve talked to a couple attorneys who say in fact this could be done. Even our resident constitutional attorney Billybob says it could but they won’t because “it’s too hard, they want the easy way out”.

[Calpernia]

>>>>Hunter could introduce legislation tomorrow (or 2 years ago)....

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-563
H.R. 563: Congressional Pardon for Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean Act

Sponsor: Rep. Duncan Hunter [R-CA]

show cosponsors (103)
Cosponsors [as of 2008-07-05]

Rep. Robert Aderholt [R-AL]
Rep. Todd Akin [R-MO]
Rep. Rodney Alexander [R-LA]
Rep. Richard Baker [R-LA]
Rep. James Barrett [R-SC]
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD]
Rep. Rob Bishop [R-UT]
Rep. Marsha Blackburn [R-TN]
Rep. Jo Bonner [R-AL]
Rep. John Boozman [R-AR]
Rep. Henry Brown [R-SC]
Rep. Vern Buchanan [R-FL]
Rep. Michael Burgess [R-TX]
Rep. Dan Burton [R-IN]
Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA]
Rep. John Campbell [R-CA]
Rep. Christopher Cannon [R-UT]
Rep. Eric Cantor [R-VA]
Rep. Shelley Capito [R-WV]
Rep. John Carter [R-TX]
Rep. Howard Coble [R-NC]
Rep. Tom Cole [R-OK]
Rep. Robert Cramer [D-AL]
Rep. Barbara Cubin [R-WY]
Rep. David Davis [R-TN]
Rep. Geoff Davis [R-KY]
Rep. Lincoln Davis [D-TN]
Rep. Charles Dent [R-PA]
Rep. John Doolittle [R-CA]
Rep. John Duncan [R-TN]
Rep. Philip English [R-PA]
Rep. Terry Everett [R-AL]
Rep. Mary Fallin [R-OK]
Rep. Tom Feeney [R-FL]
Rep. Virginia Foxx [R-NC]
Rep. Trent Franks [R-AZ]
Rep. Jim Gerlach [R-PA]
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R-MD]
Rep. John Gingrey [R-GA]
Rep. Virgil Goode [R-VA]
Rep. Barton Gordon [D-TN]
Rep. Ralph Hall [R-TX]
Rep. Doc Hastings [R-WA]
Rep. Robin Hayes [R-NC]
Rep. Walter Herger [R-CA]
Rep. David Hobson [R-OH]
Rep. Tim Holden [D-PA]
Rep. Samuel Johnson [R-TX]
Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC]
Rep. Ric Keller [R-FL]
Rep. Jack Kingston [R-GA]
Rep. Mark Kirk [R-IL]
Rep. Ray LaHood [R-IL]
Rep. Doug Lamborn [R-CO]
Rep. Steven LaTourette [R-OH]
Rep. Ron Lewis [R-KY]
Rep. Frank LoBiondo [R-NJ]
Rep. Donald Manzullo [R-IL]
Rep. Kenny Marchant [R-TX]
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter [R-MI]
Rep. John McHugh [R-NY]
Rep. Howard McKeon [R-CA]
Rep. John Mica [R-FL]
Rep. Candice Miller [R-MI]
Rep. Gary Miller [R-CA]
Rep. Jeff Miller [R-FL]
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave [R-CO]
Rep. Sue Myrick [R-NC]
Rep. Devin Nunes [R-CA]
Rep. Steven Pearce [R-NM]
Rep. John Peterson [R-PA]
Rep. Joseph Pitts [R-PA]
Rep. Todd Platts [R-PA]
Rep. Ted Poe [R-TX]
Rep. Jon Porter [R-NV]
Rep. Tom Price [R-GA]
Rep. Rick Renzi [R-AZ]
Rep. Harold Rogers [R-KY]
Rep. Michael Rogers [R-AL]
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher [R-CA]
Rep. Edward Royce [R-CA]
Rep. James Saxton [R-NJ]
Rep. Peter Sessions [R-TX]
Rep. John Shadegg [R-AZ]
Rep. John Shimkus [R-IL]
Rep. Christopher Smith [R-NJ]
Rep. Mark Souder [R-IN]
Rep. Zackary Space [D-OH]
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL]
Rep. John Sullivan [R-OK]
Rep. Thomas Tancredo [R-CO]
Rep. Lee Terry [R-NE]
Rep. Todd Tiahrt [R-KS]
Rep. Patrick Tiberi [R-OH]
Rep. Timothy Walberg [R-MI]
Rep. James Walsh [R-NY]
Rep. David Weldon [R-FL]
Rep. Edward Whitfield [R-KY]
Rep. Roger Wicker [R-MS]
Rep. Addison Wilson [R-SC]
Rep. Rob Wittman [R-VA]
Rep. Frank Wolf [R-VA]
Rep. Bill Young [R-FL]

Status: Introduced Jan 18, 2007

[RasterMaster]

"Urge"....no we should DEMAND it!

Maybe even throw a few Mexican drug dealers over the White House fence as a sign of protest?

[WalterSkinner]

[AuntB]

I could live with that!

[pissant]

Or Hunter/Bachmann. I have “lust in my heart” for Michelle.

[Bob J]

And exactly how does pardoning R&C help any present or future LEO’s regarding the 10 year mandatory?

Introducing legislation or writing a letter to Bush about a pardon is nothing more than a useless public relations stunt because now R&C have been found guilty not only by a 12 person jury but affirmed by 3 judge appeals panel...all of whom were appointed by Ronald Reagan.

This whole pardons ploy is smoke and mirrors to keep the issue on the front page, create photo ops and increaswe fundraising results.

If they wanted R&C out of jail, if they wanted to protect all LEO’s from a 10 year mand for making a unpremeditated mistake with their weapos, they could have done so long ago.

But they don’t because they don’t want to kill the golden goose who keeps laying golden border security/immigration eggs for them.

[Calpernia]

blah, blah, blah

[Bob J]

“blah, blah, blah”

Which is the usual answer from R&C supporters...with the exception of ignorant denials.

This shows that even private R&C supporters aren’t really interested in getting them out of prison, they want this issue on slow burn so they can milk it for all the outrage (read-support and donations) they can.

I think it is duplicitous and therefore despicable. Using these 2 imprisoned BP agents along with they’re suffering families as pawns in your photo op/crocodile tears PR game is scummy.

[Bob J]

“The lawmakers argued that the 10-year mandatory sentences were “never intended” to apply to law-enforcement officers acting within their official duties. They called the charge “excessive and disproportionate to the violation, particularly when Agents Ramos and Compean were in pursuit of a known drug dealer and on duty at the time of the incident.”

There are two factually incorrect statements here. First, lawmakers do want the 10 year mand applied to corrupt LEO’s and second, R&C did not know the perp had a van loaded with pot when they shot him. The van didn't even match the description originally radioed in. All they knew is he took them on a short high speed chase then tried to run back to Mexico...after Compean tried to head butt him with his shotgun.

I doubt a factually incorrect letter demanding a pardon is going to go far with Bush. What I'm wondering is why the letter has these errors? Are they purposely trying to deceive or are they completely ignorant of the facts surrounding the case?