Richard Reid Sentenced

[livin4ice]

I don't normally pass this stuff on but it is definately worth reading.  I figured general chit chat was the place to put it.  Mod's, if I'm wrong please feel free to move it.

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, US 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 coconspirators, 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

[iceintheveins]

That gave me goosebumps. We treated this monster as a human being, unlike how they treat us. You want to know the only thing standing between these ba****** and complete annihilation is? It is our compassion. The fact that we treat even the scum of the earth as human beings.
He is a sick, warped man. I just hope those who don't fully understand what we face and how evil these people really are will open their eyes.
We live in the greatest country on earth. Sure there are many terrible injustices still in our country. But you know what the way to fix them are? To stand up, united, as a peaceful, moral nation, and to never, ever waiver. To work together to further the benefits of every man, woman, and child. To put aside petty differences and to be the greatest group of all: AMERICANS.

Tyler

[fishuhalik]

Wow.  Mackdaddy, I also got goosebumps reading that.  It seems in today's world, there are more and more psychos like this shoe bomber, and we need more and more incredible men like Judge Young.  Those are the type of men that keep the freedoms in this country alive!

[DIRTBALL2]

This judge just blew me away! We need many more just like him. DIRTBALL2

[billditrite]

their ya go dick reid rot in prison where no one will give a crap and not even ala wants your sorry butt. i hope he lives to be a hundred.

[Mongo]

 Judge William Young, US District Court, Wonderful job and a wonderful statement. We need more people and Judges like this, as far as Richard Ried you go off easy, scumbags like you do not deserve to live. Living in our prisons, eating our food, taking our meds and clogging up our courts with your BS appeals. You should have been senteneced to death so you could be by your allah and we could have been done with you.

[OTIS]

That was awesome, but I think some of you are missing something.  I don't know how many more people like this we can fit into our country, but I'm sure we'd all make room.  Look around you.  Ourselves, our families, our firends, our neighbors, our coworkers, the people we chat with every day on this site.  I believe that we're all like Judge Young.  It's not about being seen and heard, but about all of us together believing in what this country stands for every day.

[PIKEGUY]

I agree 200%. Death. Period. That's what he tried to do to Americans and that's the punishment he deserves. I hope he gets a fat boyfriend in prison!

[OTIS]

We can't kill him, that's what he wants!  Even the people in prison are Americans.  Let him be surrounded every day for the rest of his life with what he hates the most.

[billditrite]

exactly otis thats what i say i hope he lives to be a hundred. spending everyday of his long miserable life wondering if ala will save him 

[transplantfromMN]

Now that is justice at its best. I hope he gets man raped every day for the rest of his life. He is a cowerdly pig and need to be treated like one. SQUEEL LIKE A PIG!!!!!!

[toguebuster]

im speechless,and proud on this day to be an american,to enoy my personal liberties ,and most of all my freedom,that has been given to me by all those who have fought for it . that judge is a true patriot ,god bless him

[LoveIce]

that was great!

[C.C.]

That was the best and I mean best thing I have ever read on IS or anywhere else for that matter. This should be how our kids are tought in school.
       Jim

[missfishylicious]

thumbs up to the judge 
but death would be cheaper for the american people
Is anyone else shocked at the fact that our media doesn't even see this as news

[JigAwhopper]

I hope they find a nice, cold place for him somewhere in Alaska,  give him a dull chisel and a hammer and he'll spend rest of his scummy, miserable life splitting rock and praying to his god for the end.  Killing someone like that would be too merciful,  i want him to suffer for a while before he goes to hell!

[TGF]

Powerful words indeed. Unfortunately terrorists do not value life as we do. I'm sure it fell on deaf ears.

[Cook078]

Is anyone else shocked at the fact that our media doesn't even see this as news

Does'nt surprise me , people are more concerned with Brad and Jen, and Nick and ahhhh..., oh Simpson!! 

Yeah pretty sad...

Mike

[JerryofWNY]

Livin4Ice:Thanks for sharing that. I'm glad there are eloquent people like the good judge and MacDaddy who can express themselves well. Then I can just add my "Amen".

[crappieman12887]

the only sad part is as tax payers we pay for this scum bag to sit in our prison system,save us all money a but this guy on a slap of ice,bill

[waterbeater]

I had almost given up hope on our Justices and you post this. There really is hope and there are patriots out there. I must remind myself not to form my opinions from watching channel 3 news. If you stop and think about it, the true americans are not heard on the news. This forum for instance is full of patriots that I am proud to be associated with. Hats of to you Livin4Ice for posting this and encouraging me. God Bless America.

[rmbillettjr]

Amen.  I lost a lot of my buddies to both Iraq and Afghanistan and to hear the comments of that judge brings a tear to my eye.  Too many people have long ago forgotten what happened  on 9/11;what happened on the USS Cole.  Never forget, NEVER!

[Chucker]

I thought it sounded a little too emotional and perfect to be true, so I checked snopes.com - http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/reid.asp
True as all git out.

[DIRTBALL2]

livin4ice, I'm just curious. Since the story of Richard Reid's sentencing was not in any major newspaper, where did you happen to find it? ???DIRTBALL2

[wyogator]

Don't worry about us taxpayers feeding him for the rest of his life. The prisoners will get him, like they did Jeffery Dahmer.

[northdease]

i think that was great. i love it. and yes they should teach more things like that in school but unfortunatly the dont. if you have kids you should let them read that. their liberal teachers definitly wont be spreading that around the classroom. when we hear the national anthem on TV at a sporting event my five year old will always stand in attention and put his hand over his heart. he definitly didnt learn that in school. that judge is awsome and it is too bad that his speech didnt make the news. it is amaizing how quick people forget how them scumbags attacked us the way they did. we need more people like him and yous that get goosebumps when you hear something like that in this country. thank you

[livin4ice]

livin4ice, I'm just curious. Since the story of Richard Reid's sentencing was not in any major newspaper, where did you happen to find it? ???DIRTBALL2

DIRTBALL2, I work in law enforcement and I get emails about stuff like this once and a while from other cops.  It's the only way we get to see the TRUE news a lot of the time.  There's a lot of criminal justice web sites out there and you can pick stuff like this up there a lot of times too.

Mike

[TroutFishingBear]

Is anyone else shocked at the fact that our media doesn't even see this as news

Most of our major news networks are controlled by democrats, and have democratic bias and agenda. Anything that makes our war against terrorism (which includes iraq) seem like a good war is not allowed by these networks. Now, while I believe Iraq wasn't the best place to go, it was sooner or later. And this terrorist and many others are harbored everywhere in the middle east, and north korea. Fox News (dubbed by me "elephant news") may or may not show this, even they try to not seem too conservative sometimes.

What this judge said brought a tear to my eye and made me think how great this country truly is! To not have a fatalistic view about things, and to let each and everyone of us be all we can be, and think what we want to think, is amazing. Sometimes though, other countries don't need this and maybe we should let them have their own culture (the islam religion is very fatalistic in its beliefs), and I'm sure we would let them be if they (terrorists like this dude) would let us be without trying to kill us so often.

THANK YOU JUDGE!!!THANK YOU USA!!!NONE OF OUR SOLDIERS' CONTRIBUTIONS ARE EVER FORGOTTEN; AS LONG AS WE ARE STILL BREATHING THE FREEDOM OF AMERICAN AIR!!!