[Vision2020] Ruling by Judge William Young U. S. District Court

[Thomas Hansen]

Greetings Visionaires -

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 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 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 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. 

Custody, Mr. 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....