Posted by
James Burns on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 12:02:51 AM
Today President Bust commuted the sentences of Ignacio Ramo and Jose Compean, the two Border Patrol agents wrongly charged and convicted in shooting a Mexican drug smuggler who was trying to flee from them. The two men stated they thought he was armed as he turned towards the two agents. They were accused of covering up the shooting and destroying evidence. The worst part of all this, the government protected the smuggler rather than it's agents. The smuggler, while under government protection, was arrested for smuggling activities. Then this information was kept from jurors during the trial. The government's attorneys painted this smuggler as a victim. The two men appealed their convictions and were denied.
When the men go free they will still have three years probation to serve and $2000 dollar fines to pay. While this falls short of a full pardon at least they are free. The two men spent the majority of their time in prison in solitary confinement due to their being law enforcement agents. When Bush granted the commutations, he stated in not so many words that the two men were in the wrong. That they overstepped their bounds as law enforcement. If the case was tried properly i believe that Bush's opinion would have been different. If all evidence was allowed in, I believe that these men would have been never convicted.The Justice Department had just turned over the case file over to the Office of the Pardon Attorney when Bush granted the commutation. The Pardon Attorney has yet to look at the file. I wish action was taken earlier than this, but I am thankful they are at least free.