Washington D. C. - On his final full day in office, President Bush issued commutations for two former border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso convicted in 2007 of shooting a Mexican drug runner. Their sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year.In 2005, drug runner, Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, was shot in the buttocks by the border patrol agents while trying to flee along the Texas border. Ramos and Compean unsuccessfully argued they believed Davila was armed and they shot him in self defense. Davila himself admitted in court to smuggling tons of marijuana into the US and plead guilty to two related smuggling charges.
The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively. Numerous organizations and members of Congress -- many of them Republican -- argued that the men were just doing their jobs. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., was particularly outspoken on the issue, at one time describing Ramos and Compean as "unjustly convicted men who never should have been prosecuted in the first place." Nearly the entire congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant them clemency. Conservatives hailed Bush's decision Monday.
"The whole thing was ridiculous from beginning to end, and two years was way too long for them to serve," said radio talk show host Laura Ingraham. "Conservatives are very happy across the country." Although a pardon was preferred, it was finally recognised that President bush would not oppose the work of U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of the Western District of Texas. With Ramos and Compean living daily in solitary confinement which was required to protect them against the very criminal types that they had sent to jail. All that was left was to hope to seek a commutation of Sentence and release from prison.
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. It is unfortunate that they will forever be branded for doing their job protecting America.
Tags: border agents, border guards, commutation of sentence, Ignacio Ramos, Jose Alonso, President George Bush To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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