[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15790-15791]
[From the U.S. 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.
  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.

[[Page 15791]]

       ``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.''

                          ____________________