Posted on 04/09/2009 7:58:59 PM PDT by trumandogz
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of Austin, who is the top federal prosecutor for a 68-county swath of central, south and west Texas, told his staff today that he is resigning the post effective April 19.
Spokeswoman Shana Jones said Sutton e-mailed a letter of resignation this morning to President Barack Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Jones said Sutton would not speak to the media until next week and currently does not want to disclose his future plans.
Sutton, 48, was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001. Obama has not named a potential successor. Among the names mentioned as a possible candidate is Travis County Attorney David Escamilla.
As the districts top law enforcement officer, Sutton has had final say on all crimes and lawsuits handled by the federal government in his region.
Sutton is perhaps best known for his offices prosecution of two former Border Patrol agents who were convicted on assault charges for shooting in the back an unarmed, fleeing drug smuggler near El Paso in 2005 and then trying to cover it up.
Jose A. Compean was sentenced to 11 years in the shooting and Ignacio Ramos received 12 years. Bush commuted their sentences and both are now free.
Sutton defended the prosecutions as the right thing to do, despite criticism from some politicians and anti-immigration advocates.
Sutton is a University of Texas graduate who played baseball for the Longhorns. He was most valuable player in the 1983 NCAA Central regional tournament, a year the team won the national championship.
Sutton was a prosecutor for eight years in Houston before coming to Austin as then Gov. George W. Bushs criminal justice policy director.
Sutton followed Bush to Washington, working on the transition team and then serving in the Justice Department, where his responsibilities included advising on U.S.-Mexico border issues.
During his tenure, Sutton was the chairman of a group of U.S. attorneys who travel to Washington regularly to advise the attorney general on policy.
Traitor Sutton.
This guy belongs behind bars, not retiring with pension.
Good. Although I’m sure Obama will pic someone even worse.
Later...
Sutton will land on his feet, the way most dishonest people now do in this new America.
Could it be that BO has asked for all of their resignations? Like Clinton did when he took over? Could this just be the most noteworthy case? Will the MSM check it out? Probably not.
April 19th? How prophetic..
It will be very hard, but what do you want to bet that Obama finds someone even worse to take his place.
Bipartisanship means bending over and picking up the soap.
Our next (R)President better fire everybody (D), and have them all investigated.
Sick.
A sick, pathetic excuse for a man.
An embarrassment to the bench.
May he burn in hell (eventually).
Note that he's resigning on the same day as Adolph Hitler was born, when the federal building in Oklahoma City was blown up, and when Janet Reno burned the children in Waco.
Only good thing about Sutton is that he knows who he is ~ an evil POS.
We aren't anti-immigration. We are anti-illegal immigrant. Why is virtually every journalist and editor in America too stupid to understand the distinction????????
It can't happen fast enough.
Isn’t it strange that no cry was raise when Clinton terminated all the Bush attorneys, including one that was investigating one of his buddies? Yet when George W. teminated 8 attorneys his own administration appointed the Democrats are howling like a bunch of freshly neutered dogs.
Goodbye!...Ping...
He was pretty good at the "Prosecute Border Guards who Do Their Job" policy.
When “O” has his way, there won’t be any distinction!
Not that Obama’s pick will be any better, but GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!
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