CNN's Lou Dobbs covered the debacle for the past couple of years.
Dobbs Tonight Archives link for several years worth of coverage
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/ldt.html
It's hard to believe the pair were even convicted. Before and since the incarceration of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, Dobbs interviewed the federal Attorney General, Johnny Sutton, who prosecuted Ramos and Compean, using a law rarely applied. Dobbs also interviewed federal representatives who mounted a defense and wanted President Bush to pardon the pair. Bush declined.
Sad day in history.
Kitty Pilgrim hosted in Dobbs place last evening, and noted the injustice.
We've tracked the issue from early on. Use key words to conduct a search of our site.
Net the Truth Online
LOU DOBBS TONIGHT
America's Budget Bust; Feds Will Rescue Mortgage Giants; McCain Blasts Obama's Energy Plan; Border Betrayal; Amnesty Agenda Protests Immigration Raids; FDA Slow on Drug Warnings Aired July 28, 2008
...Also tonight, a devastating ruling for former border patrol agents Ramos and Compean and their families. A federal appeal's court rejects their appeal and allows their convictions to stand...
PILGRIM: A shocking development tonight in the case that we've been following closely on the program for years now. Former border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean sentenced to lengthy prison terms for shooting and wounding an illegal alien drug smuggler. Well the smuggler, now a convicted felon, was given immunity by the federal government to testify against the two agents. And today, the federal appeals court has finally weighed in on the case. And Casey Wian has our story -- Casey.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kitty, former border patrol agents Ramos and Compean, their families and supporters have been waiting for more than seven months for the court of appeals to rule on their case. Today the judges did, unanimously upholding the convictions that led to the agents being sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. The 45-page decision is shocking to the agent's supporters because in December during the hearing before the appeals court, two of the three appellate judges raised serious questions about the government's prosecution of the agents. We spoke this evening with Ignacio Ramos' wife Monica (ph). She was in tears. She talked to her husband by phone from prison and she says he is in a great deal of shock and extremely concerned for their three young sons. Supporters were optimistic the judges would overturn the charge of using a firearm to commit a crime which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Texas Congressman Ted Poe, also a judge himself, a former judge himself, released a statement saying "it was never the intent of Congress to have the 924c charge apply to law enforcement officers, carrying a firearm is a requirement of the job."
Congressman Duncan Hunter says Agents Ramos and Compean were convicted based on the testimony of a known drug dealer that has since been convicted for running drugs across the border. The fact that the drug dealer's criminal activity persisted even as he took the stand against the agents is reason enough to vacate these two convictions."
Congressman Brian Bilbray and Dana Rohrabacher both called on President Bush to immediately pardon the agents, which he has so far refused to do. Attorneys for both agents say they plan to begin legal proceedings for the court to reconsider its decision. And if that fails they'll likely take the case to the Supreme Court.
They are, however, encouraged the court did overturn the agents' convictions for obstruction of justice which could provide a legal avenue for the agents to challenge the entire decision. And Kitty, just seconds ago we got a statement from U.S. attorney in Texas Johnny Sutton (ph). We didn't get a chance to read that entire statement but he says predictably that he is pleased by the court's ruling. This validates his office's decision to prosecute these two agents -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: As he has done aggressively. The obstruction of justice issue, Casey, now does that give them an opening to overturn this? How do they proceed from here? What's next?
WIAN: There is some complicated legal maneuvering ahead. The way I understand it is that the attorneys have now 14 days to re- appeal this case, if you will, to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. They can appeal it to the same three judges who made this ruling.
They can also do an on-bunk (ph) appeal which is to all of the judges in the Fifth Circuit. If that fails, they can then reopen this case or attempt to reopen this case with a district court that convicted the agents because some of the charges were overturned, those charges that didn't carry as much jail time.
If that avenue fails, then they will likely take this all the way to the Supreme Court. They say they're not done fighting. Monica Ramos, Ignacio's family says to all of the supporters of the agents out there do not give up hope because they are going to continue to fight this case -- Kitty.
PILGRIM: There are avenues open. Thanks very much. Casey Wian. Thanks, Casey. This brings us to our poll question tonight: Now do you believe the appeal's court decision to uphold Ramos and Compean's sentence is an outrageous miscarriage of justice that should be corrected? Cast your vote at loudobbs.com. We'll bring you the results a little bit later in the broadcast.
Open borders amnesty advocates are again trying to block enforcement of laws that prohibit the employment of illegal aliens. Now hundreds of protesters descended on the tiny town of Postville, Iowa, over the weekend. And that's where in mid-May some 390 workers were picked up in the largest immigration raid at a single place of business in American history. And Mary Snow reports...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/28/ldt.01.html
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