Ramos & Compean have their sentences commuted!

[Charger_Fan]

Bush commuted the sentences for Ramos & Compean today...FINALLY!!!   He should have done it before they even spent their first night in prison, IMO...but I'm certainly not complaining about having it done at this late date, versus none at all.
Don't know why it's gonna take two months to get them out, but still, I'm not complaining.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95QC3480&show_article=1

WASHINGTON (AP) - In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.

Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were too harsh.

Rancor over their convictions, sentencing and firings has simmered ever since the shooting occurred in 2005.

Ramos and Compean became a rallying point among conservatives and on talk shows where their supporters called them heroes. Nearly the entire bipartisan congressional delegation from Texas and other lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle pleaded with Bush to grant them clemency.

Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations, a senior administration official said.

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.

Compean and Ramos, who have served about two years of their sentences, are expected to be released from prison within the next two months.

They were convicted of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila in the buttocks as he fled across the Rio Grande, away from an abandoned van load of marijuana. The border agents argued during their trials that they believed the smuggler was armed and that they shot him in self defense. The prosecutor in the case said there was no evidence linking the smuggler to the van of marijuana. The prosecutor also said the border agents didn't report the shooting and tampered with evidence by picking up several spent shell casings.

The agents were fired after their convictions on several charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and with serious bodily injury, violation of civil rights and obstruction of justice. All their convictions, except obstruction of justice, were upheld on appeal.

With the new acts of clemency, Bush has granted a total of 189 pardons and 11 commutations.

[ronv]

That's great news. I was hoping President Bush would do something for them. 

[oldgold69]

they  should have been set free along time ago  but at least he didn't just forget about them

[dkn1997]

I wonder if there was no alleged cover up if he would have pardoned them so they could get their jobs back?

[Dans 68]

I wonder if there was no alleged cover up if he would have pardoned them so they could get their jobs back?

Yep, their sentences were commuted, and not pardoned. There is a story here...and I wish I was a fly on the wall when their case was discussed.

Dan

[chargerboy69]

That was great to hear. Their wives were on Glenn Beck last night to make one last plea to President Bush. But just hours before they were on the air, they were commuted.

[Charger_Fan]

I wonder if there was no alleged cover up if he would have pardoned them so they could get their jobs back?

Yep, their sentences were commuted, and not pardoned. There is a story here...and I wish I was a fly on the wall when their case was discussed.

Dan

Yeah, and if I understand it right, because it wasn't a pardon, they won't be allowed to have firearms, work on a police force & will have this sentence on their records forever...along with whatever else goes with all that. So, it is lame that they weren't pardoned, but this outcome is still 100 times better than leaving them there as the alternative.