Fort Worth, Tex. — In one of his final presidential acts, President George W. Bush Monday commuted the prison sentences of two Texas Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler in 2005.
The case of Ignacio Ramos and Jorge Compean, who drew more than decade-long prison sentences, ignited conservatives and Congress and sparked countless pleas to Bush asking for him to pardon the former agents or commute their sentences.
"I want to express my deep appreciation to President Bush for his compassionate grant of executive clemency," said David L. Botsford, an Austin attorney representing Ramos. "It was in fact the right thing to do."
Bush's order means both men's sentences will end March 20, although they can be released before then, said Bob Baskett, the Dallas attorney representing Compean.
Baskett said he spoke to Compean on Monday morning after prison guards gave him the news.
"Of course he was very happy," said Baskett, who didn't want to give many details about the call. "Between him and his wife and their family, they are just as happy as can be."
While Bush's commutation means both men get out of prison, the felony convictions remain on their record, which means they still face probation and cannot work as law enforcers again. Baskett said they will appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court, seeking for them to be overturned.
The men were prosecuted by the office of U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of San Antonio, who has long ties to Bush. Sutton's office did not return telephone calls from the Star-Telegram seeking comment Monday.
Congressional reaction
Some members of Congress who maintain the men were given too stringent sentences have asked Bush for more than a year — and as recently as last week — to commute the sentences.
U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, spent more than half an hour talking on the House floor about the need for a commutation Friday night.
"We stayed on this until the last night," said Poe, a former judge. "I was pretty much a hard liner as a prosecutor and a judge. But in this case, justice demanded they be released. And I'm glad it happened."
Texas Sen. John Cornyn has been among those asking Bush to help.
"I am extremely pleased the President answered my plea, and that of like-minded colleagues and millions of Texans and Americans, in commuting the sentences," Cornyn said in a statement Monday. "These individuals have already paid the consequences of their actions and beyond.
"This case cried out for a commutation and the President has now acted to right the wrongs of their excessive and unjust sentences."
'War against drugs'
Some conservative groups lauded the action, even encouraging people to call the White House to thank Bush for his action.
"The only thing that could have been better is if it had been a pardon," said Cathie Adams, president of the Dallas-based conservative Republican group Texas Eagle Forum. "Everyone had pulled out all the stops at the last moment. They were set to spend another decade in prison and their lives every day were endangered there.
"There is a real war they intervened in — the war against drugs."
Ramos and Compean were convicted for the 2005 shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, who was trying to flee back to Mexico after abandoning a van carrying 743 pounds of marijuana near Fabens in west Texas — and trying to cover it up.
After a high-speed chase, Aldrete-Davila left his van that carried the marijuana and ran away. The agents shot him, didn't report the shooting and threw the shell-casings away.
Ramos was sentenced to 11 years; Compean to 12. Aldrete-Davila — who testified at the agents' trial — was later convicted on drug charges and is serving more than nine years in prison.
Pardons
Monday's two commutations come on top of 14 pardons and two commutations Bush issued in November, which included a pardon for a Fort Worth Woman for her role in a workers' compensation fraud run by her father that bilked insurance carriers out of more than $3 million.
With Monday's two commutations, Bush has issued 182 pardons and grants of clemency during his eight years in office. During their eight years in office, Bill Clinton issued 459 and Ronald Reagan issued 406.
Staff writer Dave Montgomery contributed to this report.
ANNA M. TINSLEY, 817-390-7610 ANNA M. TINSLEY, 817-390-7610