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The final Bush pardons
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 1/20/9 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 01/20/2009 7:38:42 AM PST by SmithL

On his way out of office, President Bush used his power of the pardon to commute the sentences of former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who had been sentenced to 11 years and 12 years respectively for shooting and wounding a fleeing drug smuggler in 2005 and then covering up the incident. It was the right move.

Ramos and Compean supporters no doubt would have preferred it if Bush had pardoned the agents - which would have cleared their criminal records. In that Bush had stood by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton's prosecution of the agents, as well as the jury verdicts, this is the best outcome that was to be had.

When Bush commuted the 30-month sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, he did not fully pardon Libby. He let a $250,000 fine and two years of probation stand, although he did override the prison sentence, because it was "excessive."

No better word could describe the Ramos and Compean sentences.

Ramos and Compean say they thought Osvaldo Aldrete Davila was armed as he evaded arrest, but because he got away, there is no way to know if he was carrying a gun or just a shiny object. Sutton argued, and a jury concurred, that the agents realized they were shooting at an unarmed man. If Sutton is correct, their crime largely occurred in the heat of the chase - and never warranted sentences exceeding the usual plea bargain punishments awarded to crooked Border Patrol agents.

The reason for the long sentences - dumb laws. The federal mandatory minimum system, enacted by Congress in 1986, tacks 10 years onto a federal crime committed with a firearm.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; compean; pardon; ramos
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To: Jeff Head
What they did in not filing the reoport properly and then not coming clean with it on first blush was administratively wrong

No; it was a crime, for which they were convicted.

61 posted on 01/20/2009 9:18:53 AM PST by steve-b (Intelligent design is to evolutionary biology what socialism is to free-market economics.)
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To: DesertRhino
Yes, it's ruined. He made a cardinal mistake ~ get mixed up in a prosecution on behalf of a dope smggler's mother's friend in your office.

He isn't the first. Won't be the last. But that's the "crime" and he'll do the time for the rest of his life.

If I were a big money guy who needed a sharp lawyer to do his business I think I would get people who didn't do law that way. It's almost like Sutton thought he was the consigliere for the Avila family. It's impossible to trust someone like that with outside business.

62 posted on 01/20/2009 9:20:52 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: deannadurbin

More RINOs.

Like there’s a choice. The GOP is all rino but for like three senators and a handful of congress-critters. ‘Republican’ = QUISLING/PROFITEER


63 posted on 01/20/2009 9:20:55 AM PST by gost2
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To: joe fonebone

Another border reality is that some landowners on OUR side of the fence are bribed by the mexican dopers,,and impede the border patrol everytime they get the chance.


64 posted on 01/20/2009 9:23:02 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn the title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
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To: PhilipFreneau
Haha! "THE FAMILY WHO SINGLE-HANDILY..."?

Does your brain function at all or are you just too stupid to know that a family has more than a single hand?

65 posted on 01/20/2009 9:24:49 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: DesertRhino

to answer your query:
I do like cop movies and CSI...
If I shoot a person in the back it is not self defence, but and act of murder, why should cops be any different>
It was a quartering shot because the officer involved was a lousy shot..case in point he emptied 2 clips at the suspect, and was working on his third clip when he finally managed to hit him.
I believe the supervisor testified against both men ( as far as I am concerned, he should have been charged too )
Unreported shots may be common, but are illegal. If you are charged with keeping illegals out, and you perform illegal acts to do it, what makes you different from the illegals?

no, they are not heroes. Our men and women in military service fighting overseas are heroes.
The many police officers, border patrol agents, firemen, and others who carry out their duties with the highest degree of professionism and patriotism are heroes. These two are common criminals who happened to be wearing a badge. they are dirtbags.


66 posted on 01/20/2009 9:25:58 AM PST by joe fonebone (The libtard votes in every election, regardless of the candidate.)
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To: muawiyah

Im sure the lawyer, friend of the Bushes, Sutton will be fine,, but anyway, why should i even care if his life is ruined? Except to hope it is to serve as a warning to other shysters.


67 posted on 01/20/2009 9:26:14 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn the title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
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To: American_Centurion
Hey, that's not the way it happens. When you want a show trial you have to find paid witnesses. He got the supervisor(s) to become witnesses.

Kind of edging into this backwards, but because he used the supervisor(s) as witness(es) that means it was a show trial.

If you want to try the truth, you don't go handing out immunity (with the threat of a perjury charge if you should mis-speak what the prosecutor wants you to say).

Offers/promises of immunity do not necessarily induce truthfulness among participants although they may improve your prosecution record.

I'm sure Sutton was thinking no further than Avila's mother's friend and George Bush's sister in law's opinion, but he sure stepped in it.

Guy had the wrong attitude to be dealing with the sacred border of the United States of America ~ too small a man for such responsibility Fur Shur.

68 posted on 01/20/2009 9:26:38 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: theDentist

So, the last day W commutes 2 sentences. How many did Clinton commute or pardon his last day? 140.””

With the help of Eric Holder...the new possible AG.......


69 posted on 01/20/2009 9:28:25 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: gost2

There’s always a choice and it begins at the local level. We cannot just be armchair quarterbacks after the fact. We have to lead a nationwide effort to draft principled conservatives into city, state, and federal offices. Such people cannot have any personal dirt on them that Democrats could use to sink them. It’s hard work but the alternative is not acceptable either.


70 posted on 01/20/2009 9:29:31 AM PST by deannadurbin
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To: joe fonebone
The "case file" was structured by the Prosecutor to put HIM in the best light and the people he was charging in the worst light.

It is suspect.

71 posted on 01/20/2009 9:29:36 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: Navy Patriot
Easily fixed with two words. "You're Fired!"

Problem is that if "cop" is on their resume, and they don't have any convictions, they wind up being a "cop" in another town, city, state, or your/my neighborhood. Solve the problem permanently, convict them for ANY crime they have committed, and they have to find a new line of work.

72 posted on 01/20/2009 9:31:16 AM PST by American_Centurion (No, I don't trust the government to automatically do the right thing.)
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To: joe fonebone

I knew it. A CSI fan,,,i understand a lot of woman like that show.

And no,, a shot in the back simply cannot indicate it was a criminal action. That stand *alone* shows that your opinions are trite. It was a quartering shot because that quarter of the CRIMINAL was facing him. If you own a water pistol,,aim it back behind you. You can easily aim at someone whos return fire would hit you where the doper got hit. Their supervisor knew that very minute what had happened.

The real question is why you dislike the border patrol so much? You a bought-off rancher? A black-helicopter government and cop hater? A republican country club golf-buddy of sutton? Or have a last name ending in the letter “Z”? Whichever,,, there are all kinds of reasons people fall against the Border agents here,,, but most are personal and not a fair telling that the agents were criminals. These were good men that had their lives destroyed, and you seem to treat em as pawns in some sicko game of yours.


73 posted on 01/20/2009 9:40:27 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn the title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
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To: DesertRhino

ok sonny boy...you have had your little temper tantrum for the day..now go home and wash up for dinner, or i will tell your mommy that you are using the computer without permission again....


74 posted on 01/20/2009 9:44:08 AM PST by joe fonebone (The libtard votes in every election, regardless of the candidate.)
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To: joe fonebone

Hahahahaa i won,,,some bullet must have hit bone, you have no response beyond that, huh?


75 posted on 01/20/2009 9:46:08 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn the title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
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To: DesertRhino; joe fonebone

No doubt two “z”’s in his name. Bizzaro perhaps?


76 posted on 01/20/2009 9:49:50 AM PST by muawiyah
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To: DesertRhino

And where I live, it’s not even close to “dinner” time. You must be somewhere in an east coast time zone. (
Well,,,i have to go celebrate the freedom of Ramos and Campeon. Sorry,, you must be really sad that they arent in prison!


77 posted on 01/20/2009 9:50:16 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs earn the title of "man's best friend", Muslims hate dogs,,add that up.)
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To: DesertRhino
" Their supervisor knew that very minute what had happened. The real question is why you dislike the border patrol so much? You a bought-off rancher? A black-helicopter government and cop hater? A republican country club golf-buddy of sutton? Or have a last name ending in the letter “Z”? Whichever,,, there are all kinds of reasons people fall against the Border agents here,,, but most are personal and not a fair telling that the agents were criminals. These were good men that had their lives destroyed, and you seem to treat em as pawns in some sicko game of yours. "
Yes, the supervisor knew what happened, and testifed against them. If before your immature rant and personal attack, you had finished reading my post, you would see that I am not against the border patrol, just these two particular agents. I have 2 friends in the Border patrol, one of which is working in texas. The opinion of BOTH of these border agents is that they are guilty, and have stained the reputation of an otherwise fine agency. I do not live on the southern border, so I have no knowledge of the personal politics of the people down there. All I know is they were tried and convicted by a jury of their peers, and sentenced to prison, where they belonged. Now, if you would like to put together some intellegent response and answer in a coherent way, I will be glad to debate this issue with you. But, as for your response, the only bone you hit was my funny bone, because your little temper tantrum is laughable....and things will get better after you graduate from the sixth grade....
78 posted on 01/20/2009 10:01:56 AM PST by joe fonebone (The libtard votes in every election, regardless of the candidate.)
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To: American_Centurion
Problem is that if "cop" is on their resume, and they don't have any convictions, they wind up being a "cop" in another town, city, state

Absolutely true, and this is a problem of the cops, cop shops and government employees entirely, and why the leftists have made so many propaganda advances in this nation. The courts can't fix this.

79 posted on 01/20/2009 10:16:37 AM PST by Navy Patriot (John McCain, the Manchurian Candidate, makes a Marxist President.)
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To: theDentist
So, the last day W commutes 2 sentences. How many did Clinton commute or pardon his last day? 140.

And Bush commuted the sentences of two who were pursuing drug dealers.

clinton pardoned drug dealers!

80 posted on 01/20/2009 10:21:32 AM PST by Wil H (No Accomplishments, No Experience, No Resume No Records, No References, Nobama..)
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