Chicagoist: Durbin Considering Ryan Pardon Request

Albanyparkour

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 11:19:12 -0600

@Ingrid: Durbin's playing a sympathy card here. Note that he's not yet done anything, just "considering". I kind of doubt he'll make a formal request himself. He gets to play both sides of this, which is adroit since there is some considerable sympathy for Ryan, especially amongst some of the more aggrieved republicans. I feel for the man's wife, who is apparently quite ill. But the person who did this to her is the once sitting in jail.

Ingrid

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:57:22 -0600

I heard that Ryan's wife has sent two letters to Bush, one was hand delivered by a friend. And it's said that Durbin might step in and ask Bush to pardon Ryan. WTF? I'm not too educated on the subject of Chicago politics, but Durbin stepping in for Ryan? That rankles me to no end.

Albanyparkour

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:53:29 -0600

@Navin: He'll never get that job at Starbucks now! By the way, his case was handled Pro Bono and much of his weatlh was protected using his wife as a shield. He's got a nice comfortable life to enjoy once he's released.

Navin

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:38:29 -0600

"If the president commuted his sentence, Ryan would be released from prison. But unlike a pardon, haha, yeah so basically the same considering nobody cares about his "record". What a joke...

Albanyparkour

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:30:02 -0600

I'm going to *GASP* agree with Matilda on this one. The man had a fair trial, he's not in some nightmare "OZ"-style jail and while he's not a spring chicken, he's hardly Mr. Burns. A description of his prison life: http://www.dailyherald.com/column/?id=71384 It's not great, but again, he's getting his hots, a cot and medical care. How many Illinois seniors, who aren't federal criminals, go without even that? Here's the rub, if he gets his political, last minute pardon all he does is prove just what an operator he really is.

matilda

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:39:51 -0600

It sounds like a decent idea for someone as old as him. So, if one is old, one deserves mercy like this? Even if the elderly felon has yet to show any remorse whatsoever? That was the most pathetic excuse for a judicial proceding as I've ever seen, and the fact that it result in a conviction and a 6-year sentence is disgusting. Bullshit. It was a fair trial, even with the jury quirks. What's disgusting is that abusing the public trust results in ONLY a 6-year sentence in a relatively pain-free prison (no, it's not a country club prison, as some like to say--it is a prison, with many discomforts--but it's not some max-security hellhole, either).

Ward Up

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:33:17 -0600

You've got to be freaking kidding me. They have it backwards. They should be working ways to INCREASE Ryan's suffering.

xlprq

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:29:01 -0600

It's not a request for a pardon; it's a request for clemency. The full Tribune article shows the difference. He'd get out of jail, but the conviction would stand. It sounds like a decent idea for someone as old as him. Durbin makes a point to say that he's not recommending a pardon: "If the president commuted his sentence, Ryan would be released from prison. But unlike a pardon, a commutation would not wipe his conviction from the record. Durbin emphasized he is not pondering whether Ryan should be pardoned." http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2008/11/durbin-ponders.html

BlueFairlane

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:53:13 -0600

The Ryan trial itself just about erased what little faith I had left in our justice system, especially as practiced in Chicago. That was the most pathetic excuse for a judicial proceding as I've ever seen, and the fact that it result in a conviction and a 6-year sentence is disgusting. I'd be happy to see Ryan pardoned solely because of that.

Not_another_username

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:35:58 -0600

Screw the elderly who break the law.

Ingrid

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:11:43 -0600

It's not like he's in a real prison. He's doing his time at the boy version of "Camp Cupcake". I hear that scumbag Conrad Black is also asking for a pardon. If that jerk gets out, I will have officially lost what little faith I had left in our justice system.

Navin

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:16:34 -0600

As long as us *regular* folk can go to prison forever for such ridiculousness as minor drug infractions (just an example) perhaps these rich politicians can do their time for abusing the public trust. Anyway, I'm not surprised to see powerful politicians trying to help each other out. They live in a world of separate laws, punishments and "personal responsibilities" than the rest of us.

matilda

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:10:48 -0600

Also: I don't like the idea of the elderly going to jail. And I don't like the idea of the elderly breaking laws and engaging in corruption. In an ideal society, one that really values civic virtue, the most corrupt officials, such as Ryan, would have been dispatched by firing squad for abusing the public trust. Just because China does this from time to time does not make it wrong.

jennyblur

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:33:46 -0600

If guy who murders bald eagles can get pardoned, why not Ryan? Also: I don't like the idea of the elderly going to jail.