Thread: El Paso Times: Agents surrender with 3 page MUST READ PDF

NOTE THE THREE PAGE MYTH AND FACTS press release from west texas Attorney johnny sutton, which we all know hes lying about the facts of the case. if your not mad now, this will REALLY PISS YA OFF

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_5031310


Convicted border agents begin their sentences (3:26 p.m.)
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 01/17/2007 03:11:57 PM MST

Myth vs. Realty -- The facts of why the government prosecuted agents Compean and Ramos. (The Department of Justice)
Tempers were flaring on both sides today as two former El Paso Border Patrol agents surrendered to the authorities to start lengthy prison sentences.

Family members of agent Ignacio Ramos, California Minutemen and Arizona bikers protested this afternoon in front of the federal courthouse Downtown. In Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., released a vitriolic statement chastising president Bush for not pardoning the agents. And the U.S. Attorney's Office retaliated by issuing a lengthy list of myths surrounding the case, which has become a cause celebre among conservative activists.

Former agents Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean surrendered at 1:30 p.m. to the U.S. Marshals' office inside the federal courthouse in
Supporters and family members of two former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean stand at the bottom of the steps of the Federal Courthouse, Wednesday afernoon. The two former agents turned themselves in to begin serving their sentences. (Photo by Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)
Downtown El Paso, Marshals officials said. They were handcuffed and will be in custody, probably at the county jail, for two weeks to a month, until they can be transported to their assigned federal prisons. Rohrabacher said Ramos was assigned to a Mississippi facility and Compean to one in Ohio.

Ramos' family members said they were "heartbroken" today.

They had hoped their loved ones would be permitted to stay out on bond while their appeals are pending, but U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone ruled against that option Tuesday evening.

"This is a terrible day for us," said Cindy Grall, Ramos' sister-in-law. "We spent the day comforting each other and praying. We'll just continue fighting even harder."

Ramos and Compean were convicted by a jury of violating the civil rights of a drug smuggler they shot in the buttocks in 2005 near Fabens as the man was fleeing to Mexico. They were also convicted of tampering with evidence for not reporting the shooting and for picking up shell casings. The trial lasted more than two and a half weeks.

Ramos was sentenced to 11 years in prison and Compean to 12 years in prison, partly due to a 10-year mandatory sentence for using a weapon in the commission of their crime.

Joe Loya, Ramos father-in-law, said Ramos would be sent to a facility 1,500 miles from El Paso, making it hard for the family, which includes three young children, to visit.

Supporters of the agents say the government should not have offered the drug smuggler immunity in exchange for his testimony and should have believed the agents when they said they saw a gun in the drug smuggler's hands.

"Democracy is being betrayed," said Raymond Herrera, a volunteer with the Minuteman Project in California, who was at the El Paso rally today waving an American flag. "When our government takes the side of a illegal drug smuggler over the side of our Border Patrol, our democracy is broken."

Minutemen protesters were shouting "Whose streets? Our streets!" and berated El Paso photographer Brain Kanof, the brother of Debra Kanof, the assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the case.

Danny Smith, the founder of Freedom Riders, a group of bikers that held a rally for Ramos in Phoenix last Saturday, said he had promised to come to El Paso today. Except he thought the agents would be allowed to stay free on bond and he thought today would be "a party," he said.

"I think this case in an attempt by the Justice Department and Bush to intimidate those who enforce our borders," Smith said. "Bikers are patriots."

U.S. Rep. Rohrabacher and dozens of elected officials from California and elsewhere have signed petitions asking President Bush to pardon the agents.

Rohrabacher today lashed out at President Bush in a statement.

"This is the worst betrayal of American defenders I have ever seen. It's shameful this was done by someone who is in the Republican Party. He obviously thinks more about his agreements with Mexico than the lives of American people and backing up his defenders," Rohrabacher said.

Last Friday, White House spokesman Tony Snow was asked about the pardon and said he was "not at liberty to comment about proceedings with regard to pardons," according to the official transcript.

About the case, he said, "I would invite everybody to take a full look at the documented record. This is not the case of the United States saying, we are not going to support people who go after drug dealers. Of course we are."

The U.S. Attorney's office sent a release today meant to debunk myths they said are circulating around the case, such as "The agents were just doing their jobs."

"An agent is not permitted to shoot an unarmed suspect who is running away," the release says. "There was no credible evidence that the agents were in a life-threatening situation or that (the smuggler) had a weapon that would justify the use of deadly force. In fact, Border Patrol Agent (Oscar) Juárez, who was at the scene, testified at trial that he did not draw his pistol because he did not believe there was a threat. He also testified that Aldrete did not have a weapon and was almost to Mexico when Agent Compean began firing at him."

The U.S. Attorney's Office also addressed the criticism that the government let the drug smuggler go free.

"Because the agents could not identify him, found no fingerprints, could not tie him to the van (full of marijuana) and did not apprehend him after shooting him, the case against (the smuggler) could not be proven," the release said.

johnny sutton in the last two lines of the press release says

that ramos has been arrested twice for domestic abuse and
disiplined for conduct unbecoming an officer



CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH THIS CASE?
SUTTON, YOU STUPID TRAITOR LOSER

I read the .pdf. If the facts as presented represent the findings of the trial, which they almost certainly do (the release of false information could subject the prosector to civil and criminal penalties), then these guys should have been convicted. If there are in fact minimum penalties imposed by statute, which I am certain there are, then the issue fo the lengthy prison sentences is one that should be addressed as a separate issue.

In short, this appears on its face to be one of those cases in which people with good intentions set aside reason and principle to protect those they perceive to be on "their team."

I support law enforcement as much as anyone. As a matter of fact, my neighborhood watch program aggressively supports the efforts of our local police and most of our members who have the time to do so have participated in the department-backed Citizens on Patrol program in which they are trained by and do ride-alongs with the local PD.

Having said that, I am well aware that there are bad cops and that law enforcement sometimes oversteps its bounds. When those trangressions involve the unwarranted use of deadly force, prosecutions MUST ensue. The police, border patrol, and other law enforcement are not judge, jury and executioner, no matter who the subject of their actions happens to be. That is not just how it should be, but how it MUST BE in a free society.

the only problem is that most of the CRAP that sutton said on that three page press release is 80-85 percent wrong. i have already called and left a message at his office telling him how i know most of the crapola he said in the statement is wrong

Originally Posted by jamesw62

the only problem is that most of the CRAP that sutton said on that three page press release is 80-85 percent wrong. i have already called and left a message at his office telling him how i know most of the crapola he said in the statement is wrong

I hear you talking, but I don't see you backing your claim. The FACT is that a court of law and a jury of their peers found these agents guilty of 11 of 12 counts. The damning testimony came from their fellow agents. What's more, if the information provided was false, that would be easy enough to determine by going through the transcripts of the file, which are public information.

I await your factual rebuttal backed by substantive evidence.

a jury where three have come forward and complained or jury harassment and tampering is really fair. the fact that the judge said that this was not important or relevant to the case, or the jury's vote should tell you something. and that even gave her signed affadavits.

two of them said that the foreman came back in the jury room and told them the judge has said we will not leave this room without a verdict. now tell me, is a judge really going to say that, or was the foreman trying to get them to change their vote. another juror came forward and said that one juror said spring break is next week and im not going to be here.

NOW you tell me where that is fair??

the fellow agents testimony on the stands admitted to lying on the stands. the interviews i heard and saw with Ramos, Compean, TJ Bonner all said that the three agents you mention WERE NOT AT THE SCENE till after the incident, and instead of going to check on their fellow agents, instead went straight to the van..

still this its fair????????? I DONT and NEVER WILL

You know what, I will say it straight out, I really don't give a dam if they broke any laws by shooting this thug in the ass,I choose to believe thier word that he had a gun rather then choose to believe the word of a frigging drug dealer who was putting hundreds of pounds of pot on the streets for our kids to partake of, whatever, our gov should have stood behind our guards instead of behind a dope dealer by choosing to give him immunity instead! In fact I wish they would have killed the little bastard and buried him out there instead! Saved themselves a whole heap of trouble! Why would our gov. refuse to believe that little creep had a gun, to believe his story over that of the guards? Says a whole lot for our Gov doesnt it, they are in the hip pocket of Mexico, that is what it says to the whole frigging world!