Convicted border agents finding a lot of supporters
Sara Carter, Staff writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

A conservative grass-roots organization has gathered nearly 40,000 signatures since Wednesday on a petition to be sent to President Bush on behalf of two Border Patrol agents convicted of violating a drug smuggler's civil rights.

Two of the jurors who convicted the agents also are expressing misgivings about the verdict, saying they were pressured by other jury members and the prosecution to reach a quick decision in the case.

Grassfire, a nonprofit organization that uses online petitions to affect legislation, has created a special Web link and letter to President Bush for Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, who were convicted on numerous counts of violating Mexican national Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila's civil rights during a pursuit on Feb. 17, 2005.

Steve Elliott, president of Grassfire, could not be reached Saturday for comment. The petition letter, which is posted on www.grassfire.org, is expected to be sent to the president when it reaches 100,000 signatures.

"As a citizen of the United States, I am outraged to learn that two U.S. Border agents are facing 20-year prison terms for doing their jobs -- pursuing illegal aliens who cross our border -- and I'm calling on you to officially pardon them for their actions," the letter states.

Thousands of letters have also poured in from across the nation to various support organizations for the Ramos and Compean families. Friends of the Border Patrol, a Chino-based nonprofit organization chaired by Andy Ramirez, is accepting donations for Ramos' defense fund. The National Border Patrol Council also has set up a Border Agents Ramos and National Border Patrol Council Ramos Compean Relief Fund. TJ Bonner, president of the union, said the union donated $10,000 to begin the fund.

On Friday, two of the 12 jurors who convicted the agents said pressure from the prosecution and possible misconduct involving other jurors may have led to the conviction.

In an interview with the Daily Bulletin Saturday, a juror who asked to be identified only as Claudia said she was the last holdout on the jury before the guilty verdicts were handed down.

"I've had nightmares about the family since the day of the verdict," Claudia said. "I want to do whatever I can to support the families. I'm not at peace."

Ramos, 37, and Compean, 28, were convicted of assault with serious bodily injury; assault with a deadly weapon; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; and a civil rights violation. Aldrete-Davila, the Mexican national the agents were pursuing, was in possession of more than $1 million worth of marijuana, which he had brought into the United States through the small town of Fabens, Texas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Kanof, who successfully prosecuted both men, argued during the trial that it was not the agents' job to pursue Davila in the first place.

Compean and Ramos also were convicted of four counts and two counts, respectively, of obstruction of justice for not reporting that their weapons had been fired.

The El Paso U.S. Probation Office recommended to Judge Kathleen Cardone that each man get 20 years.

Claudia and another juror, Bob Gourley, who teaches special-needs students, said the guidelines provided to the jury were at times difficult to understand and that several of the guidelines regarding the convictions were open to interpretation.

Both added that several of the jurors, including the foreman, pressured colleagues to go with a guilty verdict because spring break was a week away and they didn't want to be stuck in a long deliberation. Gourley said the foreman told the jurors, several of whom were holding out, that Judge Cardone would not accept a hung jury.

The foreman, whose name is being withheld, could not be reached for comment.

Gourley said he contacted Mary Stillenger, Ramos's attorney, several weeks after the trial was over to let her know he was not comfortable with the verdict.

"We had to go by the judge's orders, but this punishment doesn't fit the crime," Gourley said.

Kanof, who could not be reached for comment Saturday, said in an earlier interview with the Daily Bulletin that she questioned the jury after the verdict and that all members said they were satisfied with the verdict.

Texas U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton also released a statement on Friday in support of the conviction.

Monica Ramos, Ignacio's wife, said she doesn't blame the jurors who are speaking out, and is grateful for the recent wave of support for her husband.

"We look at these e-mails ... just the simplest of words have changed us and given us hope," said Ramos, who is dreading her husband's Aug. 22 sentencing date. "So many people from all across the country have cared enough about us that they have written us and prayed for us."

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