[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H5778-H5779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
.
RULING BY JUDGE YOUNG
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, most of my colleagues and the
people of this country are not aware that the shoe bomber that was on
the plane that was going to blow up that plane and kill all those
innocent people was recently convicted and sentenced. People across
this country did not see on television the judge's decision or hear
what the judge said, so I want to read to the American people and my
colleagues part of what Judge William Young said in that decision in
putting that man in jail for two or three life sentences.
He said, We are not afraid of you or your terrorist conspirators, Mr.
Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. 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 are not that big. You are no
warrior, I have 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 he
first took you off the plane and into custody and you wondered where
the press and TV were, and he said, You are 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 honesty as I know how,
have tried to grapple with is why you did something so horrific. What
was it that led you to this courtroom today?
I have listened respectfully to what you have had 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 of doing and what you admitted
you were 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 that 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 today in this beautiful courtroom so
that everyone can see, can 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 as Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know 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 and mark it
well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here
today. 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 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.
[[Page H5779]]
You see that flag, Mr. Reid? That is the flag of the United States of
America. That flag will fly there long after this and you will all be
forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.
Mr. Custody Officer, stand him down.
Ruling by Judge William Young, U.S. District Court: Sentencing of Shoe
Bomber Richard C. Reid
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 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.
``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.''
____________________