Here is a quick transcript of Judge Youngs statements, very good read:
Remember the guy on a plane with a bomb in his shoe?
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, US 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 will not apologize for my actions," and told the court "I am at
war with your country."
Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:
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, 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 if you think you are a soldier. You are
not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with
terrorists. We do not meet 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've known warriors.
"You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is 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 are no big deal.
"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 to us 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 wind carries freedom.
It carries 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 Americans are all about freedom. 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 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. T hat flag stands
for freedom And it always will.
"Mr. Custody 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.
God bless America.
Remember the guy on a plane with a bomb in his shoe?
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, US 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 will not apologize for my actions," and told the court "I am at
war with your country."
Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:
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, 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 if you think you are a soldier. You are
not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with
terrorists. We do not meet 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've known warriors.
"You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is 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 are no big deal.
"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 to us 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 wind carries freedom.
It carries 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 Americans are all about freedom. 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 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. T hat flag stands
for freedom And it always will.
"Mr. Custody 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.
God bless America.
