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. That's 110 years.

 

The Court imposes upon you to 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 any of your terrorist coconspirators, Mr. Reid.

We are Americans. We have been through the fire before.

 

There is all too much war talk here - you are not a soldier, you are not

in an Army, and you are not at war with us.. And I say that to everyone with

the utmost respect. Here in this court, where 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 that happens to be your view, you are a

terrorist. We do not negotiate 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 know warriors. You are

a terrorist, a species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders.

 

In a very real sense, 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 counsel, 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. 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 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,

and to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this

society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry 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, and will go on in their representation of you before

other judges.

 

We are 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. You know it always will.

 

Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down."

Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose,

and to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this

society, the very winds carry freedom. They carry 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, and will go on in their representation of you before

other judges.

 

We are 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. You know it always will.

 

Custody, Mr. Officer. Stand him down."

BRAVO!!!!!

 

Judge Young says it as well as it can be said.

 

:usaflag