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| Bush Commutes Sentences for Two Former Border Patrol Agents |
| 2009-01-19 |
| On his last full day in office, President Bush commuted the 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 two were just doing their jobs. They had been sentenced to 11- and 12-year sentences, respectively. Their prison sentences will now expire on March 20 of this year. The two were sentenced in connection with the shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, who was shot in the buttocks while trying to flee along the Texas border. He admitted smuggling several hundred pounds of marijuana on the day he was shot and pleaded guilty last year to drug charges related to two other smuggling attempts. Bush has been cautious in his use of pardon powers, and particularly careful when it comes to commutations of prison terms. Where a pardon is an official forgiveness of a crime (typically requested at least five years after the completion of a prison term), a commutation is a reduction of sentence. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #13 I agree it should have been a full pardon. Regarding tampering with evidence, supervisors were on site during the exchange. Also for Davila to come up with being hit in the buttocks a full week after the incident without being infected etc, seems very suspicious to me. |
| Posted by: Jan 2009-01-19 22:59 |
| #12 What consequences, "serious" consequences. After all many have been sent back multiple times. Consequences sure... you betcha. |
| Posted by: illeagle 2009-01-19 18:10 |
| #11 I disagree. They tampered with evidence. A commutation is more appropriate. Davida needs to be deported after finishing his term and warned about what will for sure happen to him if he ever crosses the border again. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-01-19 15:56 |
| #10 I concur, should have been a Pardon. BTW: The LEFT, Media Rags, Tee Wee and the Congressional Leadership are going to persecute Bush & Co. until they are doing time or are convicted. When Push came to Shove Prez. Bush abandoned us, his base with ease on too many issues and occasions. Well his future and fate belongs with the Lefty elites now, Let's see how much Mercy they have reserved for him! When will the checked Panted Repubs recognize that Politics are a full contact sport. |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2009-01-19 15:11 |
| #9 Too bad the bullet didn't travel a 'bit farther north' after hitting his a*s. Sinktrap me if you wish. That's how I feel about this sort of scum. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2009-01-19 15:03 |
| #8 Horseshit, should have been a full pardon. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2009-01-19 15:01 |
| #7 As a Texan, I can at least welcome Bush back home. And since many non-American Mexican Nationals who have been here illegally taking jobs from Americans and Mexican Amerian Citizens, MExican Nationals that are leaving due to the sour economy, I can only thank the Democratically controlled Congress of two years for that. |
| Posted by: six-gun neo-con 2009-01-19 15:01 |
| #6 Among the things they did was interfere with evidence and other cover up stuff. I think a pardon would be wrong. On the other hand the sentence was high because there was a mandatory 10-year rule for discharging a firearm in the commission of a crime. The commutation makes a lot of sense. It should have been done months ago. |
| Posted by: mhw 2009-01-19 14:57 |
| #5 yes, it should. Libby too |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-19 14:06 |
| #4 Should have been a pardon. |
| Posted by: Muggsy Glink 2009-01-19 13:47 |
| #3 Yes. Yes it is about fucking time. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-01-19 13:42 |
| #2 Adios, lefty assholes... |
| Posted by: George W. Bush 2009-01-19 13:42 |
| #1 bout f*cking time. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-01-19 13:40 |