DEAR FRIENDS / AMERICANS : 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, media
at work again. 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, 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 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 discreetly. 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
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."
God bless America!!
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, media
at work again. 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, 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 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 discreetly. 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
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."
God bless America!!
