The liberty
principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that judges and justices
have much power to protect and preserve our freedoms. When judges make court rulings, they are in a
unique position to teach the importance of obedience to law and consequences of
breaking those laws. We need judges who
understand the importance of individual freedom in America and will rule in
favor of constitutional law.
One such judge presided over the
trial of the “shoe bomber.” On December
22, 2001, Richard Colvin Reid, a 29-year-old British citizen, was a passenger on
American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami. While on the flight, he attempted to light a
fuse in his shoe to bring down the aircraft.
He was stopped by flight attendants and other passengers and then
restrained until landing. He was
sentenced to life in prison on January 30, 2003.
The trial was presided over by
Judge William Young, U.S. District Court.
Prior to handing down the sentence, Judge Young asked the defendant if
he had anything to say. The defendant
responded by admitting his guilt to the court for the record. He also admitted his “allegiance to Osama bin
Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah.”
He defiantly stated, “I think I will not apologize for my actions. I am at war with your country.” Judge Young then delivered the following
statement, a “stinging condemnation of Reid in particular and terrorists in
general.” http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/shoebomb.asp
“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 consecutively. (That’s 80 years.)
“On count 8 the Court sentences
you to the mandatory 30 years, again to be served consecutively to the 80 years
just imposed. The Court imposes upon you
for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000, that’s an 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 an
$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 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 the officers of government do it, or your attorney does it, or
if that happens to be your view, 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 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, 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 bear 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. The 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. And it always will.
“Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.”
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