Senate memorial urges governor to pardon convicted Border Patrol agents
The Current-Argus
Article Launched: 03/16/2007 09:31:36 PM MDT


By Walter Rubel
Santa Fe Bureau Chief

SANTA FE — Debate on a memorial requesting a pardon for two U.S. Border Patrol agents became heated Friday morning, with Lt. Gov. Diane Denish at one point threatening to have a senator forcibly removed from the chambers.

The Senate passed the memorial 26-9, urging that Gov. Bill Richardson pardon former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, convicted in the shooting of an immigrant. Because the crime was committed in Texas and the two agents were convicted on federal charges, the memorial is largely symbolic.

But that didn't prevent tempers from running short in Santa Fe.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, took exception after Sen. Joseph Carraro, R-Albuquerque, asked, "whose side are we on?" during his debate in support of the memorial.

"When one senator gets on this floor and says whose side we're on, that's wrong," Sanchez said. As Sanchez continued his criticism, Carraro rose to his feet and interrupted with, "That's a lie." Denish ruled him out of order and told Carraro to sit down, but he refused. She then order the sergeant at arms to have Carraro removed. The sergeant at arms and his staff surrounded the senator, who calmed down and was allowed to remain.

The memorial was introduced by Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque, and requests that Gov. Richardson pardon Ramos and Compean, who were convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice and a civil rights violation after they shot suspected drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete Davila, a Mexican national, in the buttocks as he was fleeing.

Ramos was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and Compean 12 years, following a two-week trial in March.

Robinson conceded that the officers were wrong to collect their shell casings after the shooting, but he said they did so knowing that the Border Patrol would not support them.

"Whenever you give someone a pardon, what you have to understand is they probably aren't totally innocent," he said.

Carraro alleged that the U.S. government has sided with the drug smugglers.

"The Justice Department and the State Department are conspiring to show the Mexican government we're sympathetic to them," he said.

Both Sanchez and Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, argued that the agents were found guilty following a fair trial, and it is wrong for the Legislature to weigh in.

"Are we pardoning them for shooting an unarmed man 15 times?" Grubesic asked. "Are we pardoning them for hiding and destroying evidence?" He said a pardon would "put a target" on anyone crossing the border.

Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said he wasn't sure what authority the governor could have in the case. Carraro said the pardon would be good in New Mexico, but would not result in the agents being released. He said the hope was that if Richardson acts, other governors would follow suit, putting pressure on President George W. Bush to issue a pardon.

Along with Sanchez and Grubesic, others voting against the memorial were Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana; Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City; Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuqueruque; Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque; Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque; Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque; and John Ryan, R-Albuquerque.

http://www.currentargus.com/ci_5457347