Rohrabacher criticizes court’s decision to uphold Border Patrol agents’ convictions

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher joined other Republican House members Tuesday to decry an appeals court’s decision to uphold the major convictions of two Border Patrol agents who shot and wounded a suspected drug smuggler while they were on the job.

Along with Reps. Ted Poe, Ed Royce, and Louie Gohmert, Rohrabacher called for President Bush to pardon agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean from all charges. He decried the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent decision to mostly uphold their convictions, including gun-related charges.

“Unfortunately, the Court has sided with the prosecutors who threw the book at the good guys and the good guys have lost this round,” Rohrabacher said in a statement. “This makes President Bush’s role in this miscarriage of justice even worse. Affirming U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton’s decision to give the benefit of the doubt to an illegal alien drug smuggler in order to win at all costs and destroy the lives of our brave border agents simply magnifies the horrible travesty this really is.”

— Michael Alexander