Judge William Young, US District Court. Re:Sentencing of SHOE BOMBER

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/shoebomb.asp

> 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 or Radio?
>
> Didn't think so. Very few people do know!!!
>
> 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 stating, 'I
> think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am
> at war with your country.'
>
> Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

> 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 consecutively. (That's 80
> years.)
>
> On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years
> again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The
> Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of
> $250,000 that's an 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 an $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. >
>
> Now, 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 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 the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or
> if you think you are a soldier, you are not ----- you are a
> terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet
> 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've known
> warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is 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 the TV crews were,
> and he said: 'You're no big deal.'
>
> You are no big deal.
>
> 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 to us 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 wind carries freedom. It carries 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, have filed
> appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other
> judges.
>
> We Americans are all about freedom. 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. The 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. And 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. Pass this around..
> Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say.
> Powerful words that strike home.
>
> Please SEND this on ---- so that everyone has a chance to read
> it.