Glenn Beck On the Release of Ramos and Compean (VIDEOS)

This is just a FANTASTIC day. Well, maybe not in all ways, but in the case of former Border Patrol Agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. They finally were released from prison, and are on house arrest. But Glenn Beck, who has long-championed their cause and story, was the first to break this news and have Ignacio Ramos' wife, Monica, and their attorney on.






Again, this was a great day. It would have been better if they'd have received full pardons, but I will take small victories where I can get them. And I don't think I'm alone on this.

Bush Commutes Sentences for Border Guards

A little late in the process and there should have been a full pardon, but I guess there's some small measure of justice here. The rockheads from AP say it's a pardon in the headline, but I guess expecting accuracy from them is a bit too much to ask.

President George W. Bush has commuted the prison sentences of two former Border Patrol guards whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited debate about illegal immigration.

Bush's act of clemency on Monday for Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean was a victory for Democratic and Republican members of Congress and others who pleaded with the president to pardon the men or at least commute their sentences.

This miscarriage of justice never should have gotten to this point, but at least he did the right thing here to some extent.

Update: This version now notes the sentences were commuted.

Compean and Ramos, who have served about two years of their sentences, are expected to be released from prison within the next two months.

They were convicted of shooting admitted drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete Davila in the buttocks as he fled across the Rio Grande, away from an abandoned van load of marijuana. The border agents argued during their trials that they believed the smuggler was armed and that they shot him in self defense. The prosecutor in the case said there was no evidence linking the smuggler to the van of marijuana. The prosecutor also said the border agents didn't report the shooting and tampered with evidence by picking up several spent shell casings.

The agents were fired after their convictions on several charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon and with serious bodily injury, violation of civil rights and obstruction of justice. All their convictions, except obstruction of justice, were upheld on appeal.

With the new acts of clemency, Bush has granted a total of 189 pardons and 11 commutations.

More from Michelle Malkin and Hot Air.

Memo to Bush: Don't Even Think of Pardoning This Scumbag

As the term of George W. Bush nears an end, there's much buzz about who he might pardon. If he wants to have any legacy whatsoever, he doesn't even consider pardoning John Walker Lindh.

Some high-profile convicts past and present are among more than 2,000 people asking President George W. Bush to pardon them or commute their prison sentences before he leaves office.

Junk-bond king Michael Milken, media mogul Conrad Black and American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh have applied to the Justice Department seeking official forgiveness.

But with Bush's term ending Jan. 20, some lawyers are lobbying the White House directly to pardon their clients. That raises the possibility that the president could excuse scores of people, including some who have not been charged, to protect them from future accusations, such as former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales or star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens.

As much as I dislike Roger Clemens, all that jerk did was take steroids and lie to Congress. Compared to a lowlife like Lindh, he's a Boy Scout. If Bush is dumb enough to pardon or even consider commuting the sentence of Taliban Johnny, any respect I have left for him will be gone.

The department is considering a pardon application for Milken, who was convicted of securities fraud charges. Two politicians convicted of public corruption _ former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., and four-term Democratic Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards _ have applied for shorter prison terms. So has Lindh, convicted of assisting the Taliban, and Black, who is serving time for fraud and obstruction of justice.

Additionally, former U.S. Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos is applying to have his prison sentences reduced. Ramos and his colleague, former agent Jose Compean, were convicted of shooting a drug smuggler in 2005 and trying to cover it up.

As far as I'm concerned, pardoning Compean and Ramos is a no-brainer.

Already, Democrats and other Bush critics are warning the president against getting overly generous with his power of forgiveness. Of particular concern is whether he will issue pre-emptive pardons to protect allies and some government employees from facing future charges for carrying out his policies.

Some of those people could include officials who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists after Sept. 11, 2001. Critics want incoming President-elect Barack Obama to investigate possible war crimes.

Others to be pre-emptively pardoned might include advisers - Gonzales or other Bush administration lawyers, for example - who sanctioned potentially illegal policies or lied to Congress about them.

In these cases, pardon away. The Democrats have zero standing to criticize Bush if he pardons anyone in his administration or for prosecuting the war on terror. After Marc Rich, he's got plenty of markers.