Senators: Prison terms for U.S. agents excessive

Source: Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Tackling a case that has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate, senators today denounced as excessive the prison sentences for two Border Patrol agents from Texas who shot and wounded a fleeing, unarmed Mexican drug smuggler.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee criticized the 12- and 11-year prison sentences given to ex-agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, respectively. And they strongly questioned federal prosecutors' decision to charge the pair with using a weapon during the commission of a crime — a 10-year penalty that most often is used against drug dealers and other criminals, not law enforcement officers obliged to carry guns as part of their jobs.

"This really is a case of prosecutorial ... overreaction in charging," said Feinstein. She chaired the hearing, which was attended by the wives of the ex-agents and other relatives.
...
"This has been a tragedy with emotional undercurrent. But there should be no mistake about it it begins and ends with the actions of Agents Compean and Ramos. Not the prosecutors. Not the judge or the jury, as has been suggested," said Barker, who retired as deputy chief of the Border Patrol.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4974787.html

No jail! No jail!

shoot an unarmed man in the back then lie and cover it up?

but that won't stop the xenophobes and their enablers in the Senate from whinging about the sentence....

they were just doing their job. they THOUGHT the illegal drug smuggler was reaching for a gun.
it's not like they killed the man - geez, what is this world coming to?

in other news:

Ex-Trooper Sentenced to 90 days for killing mentally ill man:
http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6725721&nav=menu41_2

Cops are not allowed to murder people in this country.

i don't think anyone died.
if your statement is true - then why doesn't it apply to the ex-trooper who got 90 days for murdering someone?
please do explain.

Under the Common Law, anyone could shoot a Fleeing Felon, but that was struck down by the Supreme Court in the 1980s as unconstitutional (On the understanding just because someone was running does not give anyone else, especially Police Officers, the right to kill them). It is against the law for an officer to shoot someone UNLESS that person is a danger to the officers or someone else.

In this case it appears to be that the shooting victim was RUNNING TOWARD THE MEXICAN BORDER WHEN HE WAS SHOT. Another agent at the Scene reported NOT SEEING A GUN (And kept his gun holstered while these two were shotting at the Driver). One agent shoot 14 times at the Victim (and missed every time) the other shot just once, but hit the victim (and the bullet was recovered by a US Army Doctor when the Victim came back across the border to give evidence, no one ever challenged WHERE THE BULLET CAME FROM). In fact after being hit the Victim testified he waited to be arrested BUT THE TWO OFFICERS JUST WALKED AWAY, he then swam across the Rio Grande back into Mexico.

For the prosecutor view on this case:
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/Setting%20the%20Record%20Straight%204-25%202007.pdf

Sorry if you believe that the Police should always have the right to shoot, whenever they want to, then you support the right of the police to shoot is this case. If on the other hand if you believe the Police can ONLY SHOOT WHERE THEY ARE IN DANGER OR SOMEONE ELSE IS IN DANGER, then these two officer should stay in Prison ON THE FACTS AS I UNDERSTAND THEM.

The US Attorney Web Site on this matter (Which Included the Transcripts of the Trial if you want ot read them):
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/

Juries rarely hear the whole story, as the judges routinely exclude evidence. I recall reading, in this case, that several jury members said they'd have voted otherwise if they'd had some of the evidence they learned after the trial. (I'm going from memory on this, I can hunt up a link if it's required...)

R. Garrett

Uniformed agents gone wild

Lots of so called "Agents" need a little Prison time

These thugs will get Club Fed with tennis courts etc.

To use that case to argue for more leniency is pretty brassy. Truth is that trooper should have been charged with murder and if convicted sentenced to 25-life for killing an unarmed, innocent and harmless mentally ill man. 90 days for actually killing another human, that IS outrageous. So many people here getting vicious and vindictive towards Paris Hilton because it seemed like she was getting off easy for her crime of driving on a suspended license, she got 45 days (shortened to 23; the Ex-trooper gets 90 days for killing a man. Where was the outrage at that. Yeah, that's justice, American style.