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

[JSullivan]

Yes, I did read this when he first said it. A powerful statement that bears
repeating... again, and again, and again!

Thank you for posting this.

Janesta
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas Hansen" <tomh@uidaho.edu>
To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 8:06 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Ruling by Judge William Young U. S. District Court


> 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....
>
>
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