M
MAJOR_Baker
Guest
I tried to find a back up sorce to this, it was sent to me by another military service member, I believe it is truthful...
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 for 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
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
your self 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."
