Say Anything Blog

I’m rejoicing for these good men and their families:

On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the controversial sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug runner in 2005.

The imprisonment of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean had sparked outcry from critics who said the men were just doing their jobs and were punished too harshly. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively.

Their sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year.

Not only were those sentences way, way too harsh - frankly, their violations should have been handled with an internal investigation and administrative punshment (suspension or termination) and not with federal prosecution - there were some seriously shady deals made with the “victim” by the feds. Deals that allowed him free reign to continue to smuggle dope across the border.

And. They. Knew. It.

This whole thing was a travesty from the start, and I’m glad it coming to an end - at least from the standpoint that they’re getting out of jail where they’ve had to be kept in solitary confinement for their own safety.

So….my heartfelt congratulations to these men and their families. I hope they go on to win a full pardon and then expose that federal prosecutor for what he is - a posturing political vampire with his eyes on higher office. And he stood on these two men’s faces to try reaching for a higher shelf in his career. Of course, that’s just my opinion and I could be wrong about the guy.

Or not.

Update by Rob: A reader emails:

I just found out that the sentences were commuted, and not pardoned, because the lawyers for Ramos and Compean requested only commutations, as a pardon would eliminate the possibility of pursuing acquittals in appeals court. Bush gave what they asked for, so I feel a bit better about it.

So it looks like Bush gave them exactly what they wanted.