Shoe Bomber Sentencing

[Preon1]

I thought this was pretty good so I decided to share:

Shoe Bomber Ruling by Judge William Young U.S. District Court

Judge William Young made the following statement in sentencing "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to prison. It is noteworthy, and deserves to be remembered far longer than he predicts.
* * * * *
January 30, 2003
United States vs. Reid.

Judge Young: Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6, the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutive with the other. That's 80 years.

On count 8, the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years consecutive to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 for the aggregate fine of $2 million.

The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you the $800 special assessment.

The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence. Let me explain this to you.

We are not afraid of any of your terrorist coconspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect.

Here in this court, where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings we reach out for justice, you are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it, or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist.

And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders.

In a very real sense Trooper Santigo had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody, and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were and he said you're no big deal. You're no big deal.

What your counsel, what your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today? I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing. And I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you. But as I search this entire record it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose.

Here, in this society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely.

It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf and have filed appeals, and will go on in their representation of you before other judges. We are about it. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden, pay any price, to preserve our freedoms.

Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow it will be forgotten. But this, however, will long endure. Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done.

The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged, and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America.  That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. You know it always will.

Custody Mr. Officer. Stand him down.

[straffo]

it's a joke ?

3 life sentences + 80  years + 30 years ( as a bonus ? ) + five years supervised ...

That's a lot

I lost count of the $ in the midle of my lecture

[Martlet]

He won't live long in prison, unless they keep him in solitary.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/01/31/reid.transcript/

[Bodhi]

Originally posted by straffo
it's a joke ?

3 life sentences + 80  years + 30 years ( as a bonus ? ) + five years supervised ...

That's a lot

I lost count of the $ in the midle of my lecture

Unfortunately I agree with Straffo.  Why he was not sentenced to death is beyond me.  Now we will get to listen to his books, letters, and manufestos from prison for the next 60 years.

[Mini D]

Originally posted by straffo
it's a joke ?

3 life sentences + 80  years + 30 years ( as a bonus ? ) + five years supervised ...

That's a lot

I lost count of the $ in the midle of my lecture

The sentancing is based on parole and many other things.  If a life sentance is eligible for parole after (let's say) 12 years, with 3 life sentances he could be eligible for parole after 36 years.  The rest pretty much ensures that he will not see the outside of a prison for the rest of his life.

The prosecuters will only take what is necessary for a maximum sentance into a courtroom.  They could have tried the individual for attempted murder of each and every person on that plane.  That would have been 50 times the work and 50 times the sentance.  Also, by only taking certain aspects to trial, they still leave themselves the opportunity to press different charges should there have been a major blunder with this trial.

So... just to sum up...

This person will not see a parole board.  He will leave prison only to be burried.

MiniD

[straffo]

Ok, it's close to our "période de sûreté" but it can be really life long (except if there is a "grace présidentielle").

[ra]

Now we will get to listen to his books, letters, and manufestos from prison for the next 60 years.

I hope so.  The guy is a mental midget.  If he is allowed to spew his venom it will let people see how much Islamic terrorists rely on morons to do their work for them.

ra

[rc51]

The best part is he will be someones biotch for years to some LOL.

[SOB]

Originally posted by straffo
Ok, it's close to our "période de sûreté" but it can be really life long (except if there is a "grace présidentielle").

When they say "with the possibility of parole", they measure the life sentence in dog years.


SOB

[straffo]

rotfl

it make 7 for 1 that's it ?

[StSanta]

Martlet, I hate to admit it, but I sorta hope yer right and that he won't live long in jail. Well, the emotionally controlled part of my mind think so anyway. F00ker tried to murder a lot of innocent people. Many say 'oh he dinnae succeed, the punishment is unfair, he dinnae really do anything'

What he did was akin to shooting an entire magazine after someone and missing with every round. 'Oh but he dinnae do anything' my arse.

Hope he likes being sodomized. Think his faith is about to be severly tested.