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AG Must Investigate Ramos-Compean Case, Senator Says Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) wants to know why it took so long to charge the drug dealer -- used as the star witness in putting two ex-Border Patrol agents in prison -- with a second smuggling offense. Critics of the prosecution of former border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, sentenced to 11 and 12 years respectively, have long asked why the drug smuggler wasn't prosecuted. The indictment and arrest of Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila last week for smuggling drugs into the country in the fall of 2005 did not alleviate criticism of U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of the Western District of Texas. Rather, some critics say it affirms their suspicion that Sutton, who prosecuted the border agents and is now prosecuting Aldrete-Davila, delayed bringing charges against Aldrete-Davila because he feared prosecuting him would jeopardize a conviction in the jury trial of Ramos and Compean. The two agents were convicted for shooting Aldrete-Davila in the buttocks in February 2005 when he tried to evade arrest. Further, the alleged smuggling occurred after Aldrete-Davila was granted immunity for attempting to smuggle more than 700 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. the day he was shot and also at a time when Aldrete-Davila had a "humanitarian pass" from the government to enter and exit the country unsupervised....
Johnny Sutton accused of suborning perjury A Border Patrol activist group is accusing U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of protecting the drug smuggler at the center of the Ramos-Compean case from facing perjury charges. Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Friends of the Border Patrol, wants a special prosecutor appointed to investigate Sutton and trial prosecutor Debra Kanof for subordination of perjury for allowing drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila to take the stand under "false pretenses." Aldrete-Davila was arrested last week at the Mexican border for alleged drug offenses committed while under immunity to testify as the star witness in the case. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are in solitary confinement in federal prisons serving 11- and 12-year terms respectively for shooting Aldrete-Davila as he fled across the border on foot after bringing 750 pounds of marijuana across the Texas border. Ramirez told WND he believes Aldrete-Davila's arrest last week clearly indicates he violated the terms of his immunity. "Sutton is still protecting Aldrete-Davila," Ramirez told WND, "otherwise the drug smuggler would have been indicted for the first drug offense and for perjury." Ramirez argued that without immunity for the Feb. 17, 2005, incident involving Ramos and Compean, Aldrete-Davila could be prosecuted not only for that smuggling attempt but also for a later attempt while using a border pass card issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Ramirez called for all the documents in the case to be unsealed....
Rendell can't sway panel on gun bills Pennsylvania's House Judiciary Committee yesterday handily defeated two key gun-control bills despite a dramatic appearance by Gov. Rendell, who implored the committee to pass tougher gun laws to curb violence, especially in crime-marred cities such as Philadelphia. Rendell's 40-minute appearance, in which he sought to refute gun-lobby arguments about weak enforcement of current laws and drive home polls indicating that most Pennsylvanians favor some forms of gun control, appeared to change few minds. Six Democrats, mostly from gun-rights strongholds in the southwest, crossed party lines to defeat the two bills. Two Republicans from the Philadelphia suburbs - Rep. Bernard O'Neill from Bucks County, and Rep. Kate Harper from Montgomery County - broke from their party to support the bill that would have limited handgun purchases to one a month. National Rifle Association lobbyist John Hohenwater said the votes clearly showed committee members had no appetite to restrict gun rights in an attempt to solve Philadelphia's crime problem....