Ignacio Ramos Wants New Trial
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Houston Chronicle reports former Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos may seek a new trial:
“Ramos said new evidence came out while he was incarcerated that he believes would change the guilty verdict, though he said his attorney won’t allow him to discuss specifics. Though Bush commuted his prison sentence, he did not offer Ramos a full pardon, and Ramos remains a convicted felon.
“I know I’m rolling the dice,” Ramos said, glancing at his wife.
“We don’t go into it blind. We talk about it, and we both know the risks,” Ramos said. “And it’s hard knowing what the possibility is. But it is important for me to be cleared.”
The risk, he said, is that asking for a new trial could result in prosecutors bringing new charges, though his attorney told him that was only a slim possibility.”
Ramos has had trouble finding employment because of his record. He also wants to clear his name:
“Still, even as the family regains some normalcy, Ramos said he’s compelled to try and clear his name.
“Even though there are people that believe in you, and there are people helping you, it’s not easy to live with. It’s very hard,” he said. “Because if you didn’t know the story, … if you just look at what’s left on my record, you’d be like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t leave my kids around this guy, or I can’t be around this guy. This guy is dangerous.’”
Ramos said he knows that even if he’s granted a new trial and then acquitted of the charges, the earlier convictions still will remain on his federal record. It would show he was convicted, but later exonerated.
That, he said, is still worth fighting for.”
— DRJ
The next Federal Judge wont be sooo lienient with him and his long arrest record for domestic abuse and his criminal history as a youth which was excluded from the last trial
1. Ramos should have never in the first place been in the border patrol
2. His severe mental condition – precludes him from carrying a weapon (Tarets syndrome)
EricPWJohnson (57489c) — 1/18/2010 @ 4:13 pmPerhaps rightly excluded due to their obvious prejudicial effect, at least on Eric. I don’t know everything about the Ramos case but from what I do know, the guy got screwed. My old grandmammy used to always say, God will let the light of truth shine, shine, shine, and the truth, it shall set you free.
J. Raymond Wright (e8d0ca) — 1/18/2010 @ 5:02 pmThis guy should count himself fortunate that he is not still sitting in a federal prison. Give it up already, you were wrong and it doesn’t matter that the other guy was also wrong.
Soronel Haetir (2b4c2b) — 1/18/2010 @ 5:08 pmI wonder if his attorneys believe there would have been a different outcome if Ramos and Compean had not been tried together, and/or if Ramos had separated himself from Compean’s actions and focused more what he (Ramos) saw and did.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 1/18/2010 @ 5:31 pmI kind of agree that he’s way ahead of the game.
I don’t really care what happens to this person.
Unless he shoots me in the ass then I would be pretty pissed.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/18/2010 @ 5:34 pmHappy Feet
He has a long arrest record and had been sentenced to anger management more than once and according to the pretrial hearing was still in anger management
this was also excluded (wrongfully) from the trial as too prejudicial
If Ramos was not an LEO he would have been jailed for the vicious beatings of his elderly father in law, his pregnant wife and his son
The fact that we used these criminals as a cause celeb for a political issue was a perversion of justice
EricPWJohnson (57489c) — 1/18/2010 @ 5:58 pmHe has a long arrest record and had been sentenced to anger management more than once and according to the pretrial hearing was still in anger management
this was also excluded (wrongfully) from the trial as too prejudicial
I don’t see that it has any bearing on his guilt or innocence with the crime he was charged with.
Subotai (35aa7f) — 1/18/2010 @ 6:11 pmsubotai
Yeah some wouldnt – sad though
EricPWJohnson (57489c) — 1/18/2010 @ 6:25 pmIt seems a little shady how he wants money. Here’s his site.
DRJ you say “Ramos has had trouble finding employment because of his record.” … but to be clear he has a job now it says, and these days this doesn’t necessarily seem all that onerous of a job search…
This recession has hit guys harder, but if he got a job within 6 months like the article suggests he’s about average or even better.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/18/2010 @ 6:37 pmThe guy is famous. It shouldn’t make any difference whether he was convicted and commuted or not-convicted. Most who watched the behavior of US Atty Sutton on this have as much confidence in a D&D die administering fair justice than Sutton.
A personal Presidential commutation is an impressive resume item, actually. The guy looks like an idiot for going through this again. This looks like a desperate scheme to somehow make money by reclaiming fame.
Wesson (9fddaa) — 1/18/2010 @ 7:26 pmhf,
I believe the article said Ramos couldn’t find a job in El Paso so he and his family moved to the Houston area because of the support they received from the area after Ramos was convicted. I assume that included moral support and donations. My reading of the paragraph you quote suggests Ramos eventually got a job from a supporter who hired him or got a friend to hire him, so he didn’t get just any job but a job through a connection.
Obviously networking counts in any job search but the Houston unemployment rate 6-12 months ago was under 6%. It’s hard to imagine an able-bodied, high-school educated man willing to do any legal work couldn’t find something for 6 months in that market.
DRJ (84a0c3) — 1/18/2010 @ 7:40 pmoh. good point.
happyfeet (e9e587) — 1/18/2010 @ 7:47 pmAs I recall, according to his father at the time of his commutation Ramos preferred a commutation to a pardon so that he could appeal the conviction.
SDGuy (fb3fa8) — 1/18/2010 @ 9:44 pmIf Ramos wants money, I’ll make the movie and pay him a percentage as a consultant. Actually, I’d write the screenplay and sell the movie rights for 10 million, and give Ramos 10%.
j curtis (5126e4) — 1/18/2010 @ 10:53 pmLots of guilty people want new trials. Why should Ramos be any different.
The fact that he wants a new trial doesn’t mean he’s innocent.
His supporters are impervious to facts. The entire Justice system – of which he was a part — was not out to screw him.
WLS Shipwrecked (3d3fb8) — 1/19/2010 @ 12:22 am15.Lots of guilty people want new trials. Why should Ramos be any different
You already made the case that he wasn’t guilty mens rea. How many convicts other than Ramos do you believe are not guilty by mens rea but shouldn’t get another trial? You are a flakey little worm.
j curtis (5126e4) — 1/21/2010 @ 7:48 pm