Thread: Man convicted, given probation under Arizona human smuggling

http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=5230492&nav=HMO6HMaW

Man convicted, given probation under Arizona human smuggling law

Aug 2, 2006 09:26 AM PDT

A judge sentenced an illegal immigrant from Mexico to three years probation for his felony conviction on human smuggling charges.

Javier Ruiz Lopez was among the first group of migrants charged in Maricopa County under the state's new anti-smuggling law.

County Attorney Andrew Thomas has charged more than 200 people with conspiracy under the new law.

Ruiz, 33, of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, was convicted under the smuggling law July 12 in the first case to go to a jury trial.

He was among a group of 48 people in two vans stopped by sheriff's deputies March 2 in a remote southwestern part of Maricopa county. All were arrested.

Ruiz was the driver of one of the vans, and told a grand jury he wasn't a smuggler but received a discount for driving the van.

Thomas said he was disappointed in the sentence handed down Tuesday.

"Coyotes should do some prison time," he said.

Thomas has charged 232 immigrants with conspiracy under the new state law, drawing criticism from illegal-immigrant advocates who insist the law was never meant to be used against the customers of smugglers.

Thomas has said his approach was needed for holding rank-and-file illegal immigrants accountable.

A judge has upheld the use of conspiracy-to-smuggle laws.

Many of the migrants have taken plea deals and been deported.

But the judge who oversaw the Ruiz case threw out charges against two co-defendants, saying prosecutors didn't provide substantial evidence that two or more immigrants had conspired to be smuggled.

Judge Thomas O'Toole also ordered Ruiz to leave the country, and warned him that returning would violate his probation and he could be sentenced to prison.

Another activist judge who refuses to enforce our laws and punish the convicted, I am so sick of them! we need to legislate new laws to stop these life terms these judges get on the bench. Why should federal judges be allowed to be on the bench for life no matter how bad they are?