The case of jailed Border Agents Ramos and Compean

Lou Dobbs (who I can only take in very small doses) talks about this case endlessly on his nightly CNN program. Recently Glenn Beck, in his typically holier-than-thou fashion, very aggressively questioned the prosecutor in the case, but the basic facts are not in dispute: these guys shot an unarmed man and then tried to cover it up; they received a jury trial and were convicted (and the jury knew the victim/witness was a scumbag). The case has developed into a cause celebre only b/c it's all tangled up with the very strong emotions that prevail in the immigration debate, leading to (among other travesties) the surreal spectacle of usually law-and-order obsessed Republican leaders accusing a U.S Attorney (in Texas of all places - that model of liberal jurisprudence) of prosecutorial over-reach. The greatest irony of the case is that it's a strong argument against the stupid practice of mandatory sentencing (and we all know whose brilliant idea that is).

After Bush commuted Libby's sentence, there's been a new push to pardon these guys, since Bush justified his action by saying that Libby's sentence was "excessive" and that's what the agents' supporters are claiming regarding them. Bush's silence on the issue continues to be deafening. I say: protect good cops, not bad cops. I don't pity the drug dealer they shot, but I think they belong exactly where they are - prison.

Here's the prosecutor, Johnny Sutton, on the issue: http://www.aztlan.net/myths_ramos_compean_case.htm

Here's Lou Dobbs' commentary on the case: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/17/Dobbs.July18/index.html

Here's a pro-agent blog by the Chairman of the non-profit agency, U.S. Border Control:
http://ramos-compean.blogspot.com/