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Press Releases :: October 2, 2006

Carlos Espinosa 202.226.6997


Tancredo Calls on Hickenlooper to Stop Ritter’s “Plead & Release” Policy
Designer Plea Bargins Put Coloradoans in Danger


(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) today sent a letter to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper encouraging him to adopt tougher police policies when it comes to dealing with suspected illegal aliens. The letter came in response to an investigation by the Denver Post which found that former District Attorney Bill Ritter routinely went out of his way to cut “designer plea bargains” with criminal aliens.

“As a result of this ‘plead and release’ policy, some criminal aliens who were released went on to commit future crimes,” said Tancredo, Chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus. “I hope that since Ritter’s departure, the policy of tailoring plea agreements to thwart the intent of federal immigration law has ended.”

The Denver Post reported over the weekend that from 1998 to 2004 alone, more than 150 alien defendants pleaded guilty to the contrived charge of “agricultural trespass” so that they could remain in the country. A review of just fifteen of these cases uncovered aliens defendant charged with possession of 2,000 grams of meth-amphetamine, reckless endangerment, assault, auto theft, cocaine possession, and the possession and sale of heroin. The bulk of these defendants received probation after Ritter offered them the farm trespassing charge as part of what appears to be a “plead and release” policy to allow criminal aliens to remain the country.

One defendant, a 24-year old man from Mexico who was allowed to plead to the agricultural charge was later arrested on attempted murder charges for involvement in a gang-related drive-by shooting.

For a copy of the letter, please visit our website at:

http://tancredo.house.gov/Media/File/Tancredo Hickenlooper Ritter.pdf