Subject: Trial of the Shoe Bomber
Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and
tried to light it?
Did you know his trial is over?
Did you know he was sentenced?
Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV/Radio?
Didn't think so.
Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.
Ruling by Judge William Young U.S. District Court.
Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to
say.
His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid
also admitted his "allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the
religion of Allah," defiantly stated "I think I ought not apologize for
my actions," and told the court "I am at war with your country."
Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below, a stinging
condemnation of Reid in particular and terrorists in general.
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 you or any of your terrorist
co-conspirators, 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, State Trooper Santiago 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, 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 bare 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.
Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.
So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets? We need
more judges ! like Judge Young, but that's another subject. Pass this
around. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to
say. Powerful words that strike home.
God bless America
WDO
