Sen. Dianne Feinstein has asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to review the case of two Border Patrol agents who face 20 years in prison for violating a drug smuggler's civil rights.
Border Patrol agent Ignacio Ramos told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario, California about his run-in with the drug smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila. A fellow agent, Jose Alonso Compean, has not talked to the press on the advice of his lawyer while his hearing is pending.
Last week, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called for a congressional investigation and hearing on this case. And last Friday, Sen. Feinstein, who serves on the same Committee, asked panel chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, to hold a committee hearing on the case. "It appears that the facts do not add up or justify the length of the sentences for these agents, let alone their conviction on multiple counts. Border agents often have a difficult and dangerous job in guarding our nation's borders. Undue prosecution of Border Patrol agents could have a chilling effect on their ability to carry out their duties." She also sent a letter last week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, asking him personally to review the case.
I don’t always agree with the positions of Sen. Diane Feinstein, but this one I can applaud.
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