Poetic Justice: Massachusetts State Rep. Mike Moran (D-Libturd) Rear-Ended by Drunk Driving Illegal Alien

Mere semantics old boy. What we have here are hordes of impoverished dwarves seeking a decent spot to feed and breed. Whether Irish or Mexican, the issue remains the same. How are we to resolve this evident need. In Irelands case the removal of British interference. In the case of Latin America states such as Mexico, I will leave you to fill in the blanks.

There's no way you will batter your way out of this with threats etc. This calls for maturity and a relationship with Latin America that removes the root causes of economic migrancy from that region.

If you don't grow up and act like adults about this issue, you will find no peace...

Peace? Americans leave the US for that.

and not only that AC 957......THEY LEARNED TO SPEAK AMERICAN ENGLISH!!!!!!!!

I got this good piece esp for you,,,,

[link to www.migrationinformation.org]

22,804,660 illegal aliens in the US.

[link to www.immigrationcounters.com]

Was watching a Mexican movie one time circa 1935 or so. What was interesting to me was that the background scenery and the status of the main characters was so similar to that of the United States at the time -- especially since the US was largely an agrarian nation in a deep depression at the time. Which begs the question: what the hell happened?

Well, the United States reved up its manufacturing industry and went on to win WWII, while Mexico remained behind allowing herself once again to be subject to Old World concepts that elevated her upper class. (I say "once again" because it was the Spanish conquest of the native tribes of Mexico that did far more damage to that indigenous population than anything British or French colonists did to the native tribes within American territories.)

Interestingly, it was only when Vincente Fox was elected President of Mexico that Mexico finally threw off the stranglehold of the ruling families that had held her back for decades.

So ... now Mexican poverty is blamed on the United States? Huh? We can't help it if Mexicans didn't develop their manufacturing base during the 1940s and 50s like we did. It would have been easy to do, too, since Europe and Asia were devastated by that war. And we can't help it that Mexicans allowed a few corrupt individuals to rule their country until the 21st century. As I've said before, Mexicans with education should be ashamed.

And New Zealand? Huh? It seems that you have the same attitude as the relentless poster from Mexico. Strange coincidence, that.

And as far as ancesters go, my father's line goes back to 1623, to the landing at Cape Anne, Massachusetts, by the "adventurers" of the Dorchester Company. By all reports, this tiny group of 14 collaborated with the local Indians in farming, fishing, and even in battle against another tribe. In fact, the only real altercation they had was with Miles Standish of the Plymouth Colony.

But before you go on and on about my English ancestery (west country, actually), I must add that I also have the blood of the Cherokee tribe.

Point is: the reason the United States is so successful is that our nation is one that holds no authority above The Law. And illegals are lawbreakers, liars and thieves. Can't refute that.

INVASION USA

Illegal, 17, runs down hero cop
Juvenile released by Border Patrol 10 days earlier

-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------
Posted: April 16, 2005
1:00 am Eastern

© 2010 WorldNetDaily.com




It wasn't the kind of duty that brought police officer Michael Shea his decorations for bravery in the line of duty.

He was just directing traffic Thursday night about 10:30 p.m. – forcing two lanes of cars into one so Salem, Mass., utility workers could do their jobs on Tremont Street.

Without warning, a 1992 Honda Accord, driven by a juvenile illegal alien released by Border Patrol officers in Texas 10 days earlier, plowed into the 39-year-old Shea, leaving him with serious injuries.

The driver, 17-year-old Leila Lopes of Brazil, is facing charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving negligently.


Shea, who has been on the Salem police force as long as Lopes has been alive, was taken by helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

At her arraignment in Peabody District Court, Lopes was ordered held without bail pending an order from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Dressed in shorts, flip-flops and a bulky sweater, Lopes listened to the proceedings at her arraignment, but only spoke when she was asked if she needed a court-appointed attorney. "Judge, I have no financial means, no money," she said through an interpreter.

Officials said Lopes entered the United States approximately 10 days ago with her father through the Texas border, and was subsequently detained by the U.S. Border Patrol before she arrived in Peabody. Lopes has no family in the community and told police she was staying with friends. She had neither a license nor identification when she was arrested and interviewed by police.

After striking the officer, Peabody Police said, she drove the vehicle several yards down the street before stopping. Shea was thrown to the sidewalk on impact and was unconscious, bleeding from the head when EMTs arrived.

Two fellow Brazilian women living in Peabody, who had never met Lopes before she showed up at the courthouse, said they would try to put together the bail money for Lopes if possible.

Salem Capt. John Jodoin said Shea is a decorated officer who in the past has been honored for his bravery. "Anyone who has ever had any contact with Mr. Shea comes away with a positive impression. He's a very personable guy," he said.

INVASION USA

How open borders turn

Americans into roadkill
Illegals drive up highway deaths as U.S. hits

new highs for unlicensed, uninsured motorists

-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------
Posted: August 25, 2006
1:00 am Eastern

© 2010 WorldNetDaily.com




Vitalina Bautista Vargas bids farewell to husband in court (courtesy Chattanooga Times Free Press)
WASHINGTON – Marcos Ramos Medina was driving his 1997 Chevrolet Lumina erratically, according to witnesses, swerving several times across the center line, causing a tractor-trailer rig to jackknife in Yakima, Wash., Aug. 4, 2005.
That was before his car plowed into the 2000 Lexus driven by Peggy Keller, 53, dean of distance education at Yakima Valley College, who was killed in the head-on crash.

Prosecutors in his vehicular homicide trial contended Medina was coming down from a methamphetamine high. When Russell T. "Todd" Sharpe, a six-year Washington State Patrol officer, testified that Medina fought against his restraints while being taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test and refused to answer questions, the case against the Mexican national with a criminal record who had twice been deported was declared a mistrial because his constitutional right to remain silent had been violated.


"It pains me greatly, but in this case I must exercise an abundance of caution," explained Judge James P. Hutton.

Little caution, critics say, is being exercised when it comes to preventing mayhem on America's highways as the country witnesses record high numbers of unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured drivers – millions of whom are illegal aliens like Medina.

While no one – in or out of government – tracks traffic accidents caused by illegal aliens, the statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests many of last year's 42,636 road deaths involved illegal aliens.

A report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study found 20 percent of fatal accidents involve at least one driver who lacks a valid license. In California, another study showed that those who have never held a valid license are about five times more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than licensed drivers.

Statistically, that makes them an even greater danger on the road than drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked – and nearly as dangerous as drunk drivers.

While police do not routinely ask drivers about their immigration status, New York's Rockland County District Attorney Michael Bongiorno – who has prosecuted more than 20 felony cases this year involving people accused of both unlicensed driving and drunken driving – estimated that two-thirds of about 70 drivers charged in Spring Valley with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and unlicensed driving were illegal immigrants.

"Unfortunately, the undocumented drivers here do that (drive unlicensed) more than the natives,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Wendy Hahn. "If they've been involved in an incident, they flee because they don't want to deal with immigration.''

Federal immigration officials typically do not get involved when an undocumented person is charged with drunken driving or driving without a license, said Bongiorno and police officials around the country.

While the Census Bureau estimates there are 9 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., other sources put the figure closer to 20 million. Running parallel to those estimates are the best guesses on the number of unlicensed motorists – 17 million.

In addition, the states with the most illegal aliens also have the most unlicensed drivers. Those states are also in the lead for the most hit-and-run accidents, according to reports issued by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the Pew Hispanic Center. California ranks at the top with 24.1 percent of the known 11.1 million illegal aliens.

The proportion of unlicensed drivers varies widely state-by-state, with 6 percent in Maine and 23 percent in New Mexico.

Many of those advocating allowing illegal aliens to get driver's licenses make the case by suggesting most unlicensed drivers are so because they cannot get a license.

In California, for instance, the Legislature is considering several proposals that would help illegal immigrants drive. One of them is a bill that would prevent police from seizing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. Senate Bill 626 by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, would apply to all drivers who have never obtained a California license. Opponents point out those favoring the bill are the same people promoting licenses for illegals.

'Under current state law, police can seize vehicles for up to 30 days if the driver is unlicensed. Under the new bill, if the driver never had a license, the vehicle could be seized for only 24 hours; those who had licenses suspended or revoked would still have the vehicles impounded for up to 30 days.

Who are the people who have never had a license? Disproportionately, critics of the bill say, they are illegal immigrants.

In the Maryland Legislature, Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, D-Montgomery, is drafting legislation that would stiffen penalties for unlicensed drivers. His bill requires them to appear before a judge and would make them subject to up to 90 days in jail for a first offense and as much as a year for a second offense. In addition, cars belonging to unlicensed drivers could be impounded for up to a month or forfeited if they were involved in an accident that caused an injury.

Though there is absolutely no government data on the identity of Maryland's unlicensed drivers – or those in any other state – Simmons's bill has been attacked by immigrant rights' activists, who say it targets Latinos.

Whether they are mostly illegal aliens or not, one thing is certain – there are more unlicensed drivers on the road than ever before. So prevalent is the trend that many police departments have cut back on sobriety checkpoints in favor of checkpoints to check the documentation of drivers.

A WND statistical study of police reports of dozens of such checkpoints around the country show that close to 10 percent of drivers stopped are either unlicensed or have suspended licenses. Even at sobriety checkpoints, far more drivers are found to be unlicensed than intoxicated.

While some say the answer to the illegal alien-unlicensed driver crisis is permitting illegals to get licensed, others say the solution is decreasing the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Rules determining who is eligible for a driver's license vary by state. Eleven states do not require legal immigration status to obtain a license. The rest do require proof of legal status, either by state law or the documents required to apply. The eleven states are: Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Tennessee and Utah have introduced a separate "certificate for driving" for state residents who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the United States. But Tennessee stopped issuing the certificates in February after reports that undocumented immigrants were coming from out of state and using false documents to apply.

The Real ID act, scheduled to take effect in 2008, will prohibit all states from issuing licenses to illegal aliens or the licenses will not be accepted as identification for federal purposes.

In addition to being unlicensed, most illegal alien drivers are uninsured – making the accidents they cause even more injurious. Statewide, more than one-third of California drivers are without insurance, according to the California Department of Insurance. In some low-income and minority neighborhoods, the rate is over 50 percent. In San Jose, for instance, 55 percent of all drivers on the road have no auto insurance. In some parts of Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Alameda counties, the rate reaches as high as 90 percent.

The situation isn't much better in other states with high populations of illegals. In Texas, 27 percent of drivers are uninsured. In Florida, the estimates are between 15 and 25 percent. In Colorado, 32 percent.

Even though citizens and legal residents are victimized by the high percentage of uninsured drivers, illegal aliens themselves are often immune to the pain.

Take the case of Victor Manuel Caballero. Even though he entered the country illegally from Mexico five years ago, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that he could collect damages for being hurt in an auto accident from a special state fund set up to benefit those hurt in accidents with uninsured drivers.

Caballero would hitch a ride to his computer job with a co-worker, 19-year-old Ricardo Martinez. One morning, Martinez fell asleep at the wheel, veered off the road and struck a parked tractor trailer. Martinez walked away from the accident, but Caballero was badly hurt.

Surgeons repaired injuries to his abdomen and intestines over a week in the hospital at a cost of $38,300 in medical bills and $1,482 in lost wages. He had no medical insurance. The driver, Martinez was not only unregistered, he had no auto insurance. It turns out he was illegal, too.

The $38,300 in hospital bills was paid by a special hospital charity fund. And because of his successful lawsuit that went all the way to the state Supreme Court, Caballero was eligible for up to $15,000 for "pain and suffering."

There are no official statistics about highway carnage and illegal aliens. But there is an increasing awareness among law enforcement officials – and victims of traffic accidents – that illegal aliens are playing a disproportionate role in the road mayhem.

Earlier this month, a court in Chattanooga, Tenn., heard the case of an illegal alien convicted of running her car into a house and killing a 91-year-old woman. A judge ordered Vitalina Bautista Vargas deported. Amazingly, the family of the victim remained compassionate and merciful.

"They wanted one of the conditions to be that she learn how to drive," prosecutor Jay Wood said.

Prosecutor Wood said federal officials insisted that she be deported. He said as a convicted felon, she will not be allowed to apply to re-enter the country for at least 10 years.

Louella Winton, the victim, was asleep in her bed when the car crashed into her house. The vehicle knocked the victim through the bedroom wall and threw her against the wall of the house next door.

According to surveys conducted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Hispanics believe it takes 6-8 drinks to affect driving, while Americans, indoctrinated for years against drunk driving, believe it takes just 2-4 drinks.

In 2001, MADD reported 44.1 percent of California's drunk driving arrests were of Hispanics, while, officially, they made up just 31.3 percent of the population.

Look mommy, it has numbers that go clickety click click. That site is misinfo, kid. Dig deeper....

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN COUNTRY, many more than 10M, many are unemployed or dependents:

Background: The popular myth that there are "10-11M undocumented workers in the country" is misleading, disingenuous and blatantly false. That figure fails to factor in the chain migration unemployed dependent family members (wives, grandparents, migrant children, migrant girlfriends, single mothers, anchor babies), the adult unemployed, those incarcerated, transients and fugitives. After the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was directed by Congress to stop counting in 1981, even the conservative numbers of the 2000 Census Bureau (CB) estimated at that time the total illegal immigration population was about 8 million. That figure was never intended to only represent the number of workers as is incorrectly quoted today.

Because of the nature of illegal immigration only the nearest estimates are possible. Illegal immigration generally falls into one of two categories: those who entered the country illegally and those who were admitted legally as visitors or on temporary work status and overstayed their visa. The legal status of non-citizens is not routinely ascertained in censuses or surveys with sample sizes sufficient for making accurate national population estimates. An alien registration program at the INS, requiring all resident aliens to report their status annually was discontinued by Congress in 1981. It is unrealistic to expect the Census Bureau to locate the majority of illegal immigrants in the country, nor is it realistic to expect illegal immigrants to fill out census forms. By not revealing their legal status and other personal information, they seek to avoid coming to the government‘s attention. To compound the problem, government officials and researchers often underestimate the effectiveness of the communication networks and the scale of documentation fraud among the illegal immigrant population. The following article highlights how the government has failed to address document fraud.

[link to www.cis.org]

In spite of these limitations, the Census Bureau did develop some estimates of their own. Their estimates at the time of the 2000 Census indicated that the illegal immigration population was about 8 million. Using this number, it can be reasonably estimated that the illegal-alien population grew by about half a million a year in the 1990s. This estimate is derived from a draft report given to the House Immigration Subcommittee by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) that estimated the illegal population was 3.5 million in 1990. For the illegal population to have reached 8 million by 2000, the net increase had to be 400,000 to 500,000 per year during the 1990's. The Census Bureau currently estimates a net increase of 500,000 illegal immigrants annually and a current population of about 10.5 million. This number represents one of the lower estimates and is disputed by many in the industry.

In a document by The Pew Hispanic Center, “Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Undocumented Population“, March 2005. They estimated about 11.1 million illegal aliens the previous year and 11.5 to 12 million as of March 2006. The March 2006 estimate found that illegal immigrants have a total of about 3.1 million children who were born in the U.S, and are now U.S. citizens, other sources place this number at 5 million. The report is provided here.

[link to pewhispanic.org]

On the high end of the spectrum are some private groups that randomly select single sources of data, such as an interview with a border patrol agent or with one elected official. Those sources have placed the numbers around 30 million. Until more data is provided, ImmigrationCounters.com does not yet side with the 30 million figure, yet notes that it may indeed be that high.

ImmigrationCounters.com subscribes to estimates from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of 700,000 per year who enter illegally (includes children) or are visa overstay fugitives. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates 700,000-800,000 per year [link to pewhispanic.org] . We also side with an independent report from Bear Stearns, “The Underground Labor Force Is Rising To The Surface," January 3, 2005. This report estimates the number to be around 20 million based on ancillary sources of data that provide evidence the rate of growth is much greater than the Census Bureau estimated. The Bear Stearns report is provided here.

[link to www.bearstearns.com]

[link to www.usdoj.gov]

The Congressional Budget Office projects 700-900K Illegal Immigrants entering annually and 70 million in the next 20 years.

[link to www.cis.org]


FY2006 - USDOJ saw 317,000 Removal Procedings. Removal procedings and actual deportations are separate figures: [link to www.usdoj.gov]

Border Patrol Agents place number of illegal immigrants closer to 20M: [link to www.govexec.com]

Note: In FY2006, ICE increased in the number of deportations to 185,431. This counter will be lowered by this amount on 1 September 2007. The report is provided here:

[link to www.ice.gov]

Counter Data: Department of Homeland Security and Bear Stearns Report, Increase of 700,000 per year. 700k /12 months = 58,333 per month = 1,944 per day = 81 per hr = 1.35 per minute = .02 per second. Beginning Jan 05 to June 06 = 291,665. Starting number 20,291,665 and update at 1.35 per minute or .02 per second. Clock start date is 1 June 06.

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Justin John Steven Goodman was killed when his motorcycle was hit by an SUV driver who fled the scene.



Illegal Immigrant Gets Maximum Sentence In Hit & Run Death
Robert Martinez-Ruiz Apologizes For Fatal Accident

POSTED: 11:31 am MDT September 28, 2005

BRIGHTON, Colo. -- An illegal immigrant was given the maximum sentence Wednesday for the hit-and-run death of a motorcyclist a year ago.

Roberto Martinez-Ruiz was handed a 16½-year prison sentence following his conviction for the July 2004 accident that killed Justin Goodman, 32, as Goodman was riding his motorcycle through a Thornton intersection.

Martinez-Ruiz, 33, was convicted in Adams County a year after the accident on seven criminal counts, including leaving the scene and tampering with evidence to cover up a crime.


In court Wednesday, he said he was very sorry for what he did. Martinez-Ruiz also asked the judge for a second chance because he had prior convictions on his record.

The family of Goodman asked the judge for the maximum prison sentence against Martinez-Ruiz who is a habitual traffic offender, according to traffic records.

Goodman died after he was hit by a sport utility vehicle that drove through the intersection of 88th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard without stopping.

Thornton investigators spent six months tracking down the Ford Explorer that hit Goodman, and finally found Martinez-Ruiz. Police said he is an illegal immigrant who had phony immigration documents and had been in trouble with the law several times before.

It was a 7NEWS investigation that revealed that no local law enforcement agency, prosecutor, or judge ever contacted federal immigration officials to have Martinez-Ruiz deported after his numerous arrests and time spent in jail.

Since 1996, Martinez-Ruiz used six different aliases, had arrests for driving under the influence, failure to appear in court, probation violation, careless driving, driving with a revoked license, and hit and run.

He has spent time in jail and in 2000, his drivers license was revoked for five years

Alleged illegal alien arrested after hit-and-run traffic accident
StoryDiscussionRON INGRAM - H&R Staff Writer Wednesday, August 24, 2005 12:00 am

A man who told Decatur police he entered the United States illegally from Mexico 16 years ago was arrested at 7:38 p.m. Monday for investigation of his residency status and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

Bond was set at $20,000 on Tuesday in Macon County Circuit Court for the man, who repeatedly told police his age is 30 but who also gave a birth date in 1973 that would make him 31. He had two sets of identification on his person when arrested and police are unsure of his identity.

When asked for his real name, the suspect cursed at officers and said, "Take me to jail," according to a sworn statement filed in court by patrolman Brian Earles in support of the bond request.

In a second sworn statement, patrolman Michael J. Claypool stated that at 6:47 p.m. Monday officers were sent to the scene of a traffic accident at Woodford Street and Barrington Avenue. He said a white van and a motorcycle were both heading north on Woodford when the van driver switched lanes without checking traffic, striking the motorcycle and causing it to crash.

The motorcycle driver, Patrick W. Tatum, was treated at Decatur Memorial Hospital for a broken wrist and abrasions.

A witness to the accident followed the van and, before losing sight of it, allegedly observed a Hispanic man wearing a white T-shirt behind the wheel, Claypool said. At 7:10 p.m. Monday, patrolman Chad Shull located the white van in the 1000 block of Gibson Street with a Hispanic male sitting behind the wheel, he said.

The witness was brought to the scene and identified the driver as the man he saw leave the accident scene, Claypool said. The suspect was arrested for investigation of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and failure to give aid or information at such an accident.

The suspect later was booked into the county jail for investigation of obstruction of justice and possession of a fictitious drivers license after two licenses and a state identification card with two different names on them were found in his possession, Earles said.

A check of Illinois Secretary of State's records found a suspended license for one name and a revoked license for the other name, Earles said. When interviewed by a detective, the man allegedly said a resident alien identification card in his possession was a fake that he paid $100 to obtain.

By Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 30, 2006

The man accused of killing a Marine in a drunken driving accident on Thanksgiving was charged with drunken driving earlier this year, but the case was dropped because Howard County police did not collect enough evidence, prosecutors said yesterday.

Prosecutors also said a police blunder allowed the man, Eduardo Raul Morales-Soriano, 25, of Laurel, to keep his driver's license after the Feb. 5 incident, although it should have been suspended immediately after he refused to take a breath test.

Police have opened an internal investigation to review the performance of the officers involved and determine whether they could have built a stronger case, said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. She declined to comment further.

Federal authorities determined yesterday that Morales-Soriano was an illegal immigrant from Mexico and filed papers to begin deportation proceedings, said James Dinkins, acting special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Baltimore office.


Morales-Soriano was charged last week in the deaths of Marine Cpl. Brian Mathews, a 21-year-old Columbia native who spent eight months in Iraq, and Mathews's date, Jennifer Bower, 24, of Montgomery Village. Police said Morales-Soriano's blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit when he slammed into the back of the car carrying the couple.

Morales-Soriano's February charge was first reported yesterday in the Baltimore Sun.

Authorities have alleged that Morales-Soriano was intoxicated the night of Feb. 5. Police smelled alcohol on his breath and saw three beer cans in his vehicle, said Howard County State's Attorney Timothy J. McCrone. He said Morales-Soriano lost his balance as officers asked him to begin a field sobriety test.

But for undetermined reasons, the officers stopped him from completing the test, McCrone said. "I don't know what was on the mind of the officers at the time," he said. "It certainly helps prove the case if you have field sobriety exercises."

Morales-Soriano then refused to take a breath test, which should have led to the suspension of his license for 120 days. But the police accidentally gave Morales-Soriano all the copies of the form that was supposed to have been sent to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to begin the suspension, McCrone said.

"The information was never transmitted to the MVA," said Buel Young, an agency spokesman. "We have no idea of knowing he is even stopped unless the police tell us."

Morales-Soriano, a landscaper, moved to Maryland about a year ago from North Carolina, according to court and state records. A woman who answered the phone at his home yesterday said the family would not comment.

Although police charged him in February with four counts related to drunken driving, the case was dropped in April after prosecutors determined that they could not obtain a conviction. There were no witnesses who saw him driving drunk, no field sobriety test and no form showing that he had refused a breath test, McCrone said.

"We need evidence to prove our cases," he said. "We didn't have it."

No it isn't.

Deaths fuel debate on driver’s licenses for immigrants
Alleged drunk driver who killed Village woman Thanksgiving night was illegal
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006
by Sebastian Montes
Staff Writer


Monday would have been Jennifer Bower’s 25th birthday. Instead, it was the Montgomery Village woman’s funeral.

Several dozen of Bower’s friends gathered in Rockville afterwards to remember and celebrate the Jennifer they knew as infectious and outgoing — and share the latest details of the car accident that took her life Thanksgiving night.

Bower was sitting in her car at a red light in Columbia when her car was hit by an alleged drunk driver, a man now known to be an illegal immigrant with a valid Maryland’s drivers license. Her passenger that night, who was also killed, was a 21-year-old U.S. Marine who had returned from war duty in Iraq that morning.

At their gathering Monday afternoon, Bower’s friends hashed over the media coverage of the accident.

Howard County police issued a statement that said the alleged drunk driver had a blood-alcohol level four times the legal limit. The Washington Post reported the man, Eduardo Morales-Soriano, 25, of Laurel had a previous drunk-driving charge that was dropped in February.

And The Baltimore Sun reported last week that Morales-Soriano is an illegal immigrant.

With the death of two people, particularly a Marine just returned from war, allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant with a valid driver’s license, blog debate on the Internet points to renewed questions over Maryland’s policy to allow illegal immigrants to obtain licenses.

But little has been said about Bower, who was on her second date with the Marine, Brian Mathews of Columbia.

A graduate of Watkins Mill High School and Hood College in Frederick, she was home for the holiday from Marymount University in Arlington, where she was pursuing a masters in community counseling. She was an intern at a halfway house working with addicts, according to her Internet profile on MySpace.com.

‘‘There is nothing better than the feeling of being able to help others,” she wrote on her profile, which now stands as monument of memories, well wishes, and goodbyes as her friends have posted more than 50 notes since Bower’s last log-in on Thanksgiving.

Bower’s family could not be reached for comment.

‘‘It kind of pisses you off,” said her friend Jeff Eggert of Damascus on Monday, adding that Morales-Soriano ‘‘ruined two very promising lives.”

Still, Eggert said ‘‘the fact that he’s illegal doesn’t really matter. There are immigrants that are illegal that don’t do that.”

Maryland’s debate

State lawmakers headed back to Annapolis after the holidays were already expecting to take up the state’s policy of allowing illegal immigrants to earn driver’s licenses, many have said.

‘‘I’m sure that this is going to be a major issue facing us in January,” said Del. Nancy J. King (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village. ‘‘... We’ve got to solve the problem somehow. We have an awful lot of illegal residents at this point — and we’ve got to deal with their needs, too — but we also have to respect the needs of the people who are doing this whole thing legally.”

Maryland legislators this session have to contend with the Real ID Act, a federal law passed in April 2005 that would force Maryland to abandon its policy of allowing illegal immigrants to obtain state licenses.

In 2003, Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran declared that the state cannot deny someone a license based solely on his or her inability to prove legal residence. A legislative task force in 2004 concurred.

However, states that fail to comply with the Real ID Act in the coming years could lose millions in federal funding. Those states’ driver’s licenses also would not be valid for federally-controlled actions like boarding airplanes.

Supporters of Maryland’s current license policy argue that because Morales-Soriano has a state license, authorities have been able to enforce the full extent of the law.

‘‘This case is an exact example of how it is better to know who some one is and where they live,” said Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase, a member of the 2004 legislative task force.

Noting that the fate of Real ID itself is uncertain, she said that the circumstances of this one tragic accident must be kept separate from the state’s policy on driver’s licenses.

‘‘Making this a story about undocumented immigrants is an example of fanning the fear and scapegoating of immigrants,” she said. ‘‘It is time that we stop that.”

The ongoing process

The full-service Gaithersburg office of the Motor Vehicle Administration on Metropolitan Grove Road is one of 10 in the state that handles ‘‘out-of-country” applications.

For now, the lines of people — often a throng of 100 or more lining the sidewalk by 6 a.m. — that gathered at the Gaithersburg MVA every morning throughout the summer are gone. MVA reinstated an appointment-only process in September that had been used until last spring.

Once walk-ins were allowed, the number of out-of-country applications jumped from 900 a week to more than 2,000, said Buel Young, MVA spokesman.

Casa de Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group, entered the driver’s license fray two years ago, at first in response to community outcry over the difficulty of understanding the MVA process and the documentation it required.

‘‘Casa’s work on this issue is based on standing law in Maryland. If that’s something that there’s a change on, that’s the will of the state,” said Eliza Leighton of Casa. ‘‘But at this point, Casa feels very strongly that we should be supporting recent immigrants in obtaining all of their rights under existing law. And this is one of their rights.”

There have been complaints about the difficulty of the MVA process, with one tearful woman telling The Gazette in August that she had been turned down for a license based on her paperwork eight times.

MVA spokesman Young said the procedures and policies are clearly stated on the administration’s Web site.

‘‘Any individual that keeps coming back is not listening to what they need,” he said.

But Casa disagrees, and in November 2005 joined with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund to sue the MVA on behalf of 13 people living in Maryland who were denied their licenses or permits.

The case is still pending.

‘‘It’s a huge public safety issue,” said Leighton. ‘‘We [need to] create a plan in which we’re not just de facto having tens of thousands of people driving around Maryland that aren’t licensed and that are uninsured.”

With Casa’s Executive Director Gustavo Torres on Governor-elect Martin O’Malley’s transitional team, Casa will push lawmakers toward an alternative it devised in October: keep the Maryland license as is and create an entirely new form of identification to comply with the REAL ID requirements, said Kim Propeack, Casa’s advocacy director.

‘‘We think that’s the most sound economic and structural solution,” Propeack said.

Can’t change the past

All of it does nothing to change the fate of Bower, Mathews or Morales-Soriano.

Morales-Soriano is being held in a Howard County jail on $830,000 bond, charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, two counts of intoxicated manslaughter and one count of driving while intoxicated.

Police continue their investigation and a January court date has been set, but ‘‘the case will most likely be presented to the grand jury,” said Danielle Duclaux, Howard County’s senior assistant state’s attorney.

If so, the grand jury will decide Morales-Soriano charges; he could face more than 30 years in prison.

Federal immigration authorities have already filed an order to detain him, said Jim Dinkins, special agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office. Once Morales-Soriano meets his obligations to the state, he will go before an immigration judge for deportation back to Mexico, he explained.

Your entire analysis after "What happened?" is distorted, as usual. You sound like you live back in colonial times. Mexico had a revolution against the aristocracy, you know. The US did not...

How can you write so much about things you know nothing about?

And your country of lawlessness is what allows young Mexican men to flow north so easily, and your particular brand of hypocracy pretends it isnt so.

And btw, one side of my ancestors almost followed the same time line and path yours did. Except by way of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana to Texas. After that, only you can guess...

Officials Say I-90 Crash Driver Is Illegal Alien
Woman Faces 195 Years
Posted: 5:52 pm CDT August 23, 2003
Updated: 9:30 pm CDT August 24, 2003

JANESVILLE, Wis. -- The driver of a car in which two people died two weeks ago near Janesville is an illegal alien.

The immigration service wants Maribel Sotelo-Solis, 24, held by authorities.

She was originally charged with two counts of homicide by the negligent use of a vehicle, but prosecutors have upgraded and added new charges.

Sotelo could have faced up 20 years in prison, but now she faces 195 after prosecutors upgraded the charges to two counts of first-degree reckless homicide and added three counts of reckless injury on Friday.

Rock County officials said new charges were added after the extent of injuries to others hurt in the crash came to light and the homicide charges were upgraded after more complete accident reports were finished.

Sotelo was making an illegal u-turn when she was broadsided. Sotelo is also accused of second-offense driving without a valid license and failing to restrain the child.

Yesenia Antonia Montesdeoca, 2, who is the child of a frend, and Anna Sotelo-Solis, 27, who is Sotelo's sister, were killed in the crash and eight others -- most not wearing seat belts, were injured when a car Sotelo was driving crossed the median and crashed into a pickup truck and minivan on I-90 between Wisconsin 11 and U.S. 14 around 2:45 p.m.

Montesdeoca and Sotelo-Solis were ejected from the 1994 Chevy Corsica and died at the accident scene, and six other people were taken to a hospital with injuries, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Officials said there were seven people in the girls' car and five were ejected when the vehicle crossed the median. They were not wearing seat belts and the young child was not in a child-safety seat, officials said. They were on their way to visit relatives.

Darren A. Reichert, 33, of Jeffereson, who was driving a 1987 Chevy pickup truck was seriously injured in the crash. He wasn't wearing a seat belt either, officials said.

Shaskikant Bhatt, 68, of Schaumburg was driving the 1999 Nissan Quest minivan with a woman and a child in a car seat as passengers. They suffered cuts and abrasions. Both adults were wearing seat belts, the State Patrol said.

Sotelo told police she missed her exit and tried a u-turn in a construction zone, but the paved area where it happened is not a turnaround. It's a section where traffic will be re-routed later during the road project.

"It's a very difficult manuver," said Lt. Jeff Lorentz of the State Patrol. "For someone to take it upon themselves at a dead stop, it's really tough. She thought she was allowed to make the turn there because she saw arrows on the highway. The arrows on the highway were actually to move over to the new temporary lanes."

Sotelo's bond was set at $25,000. She is due back in court Monday for a preliminary hearing

I've gone through it and compared it to primary sources. It has bad data...

When the economy crashes and it will, I would not want to be an illegal in the US.

INVASION USA

'12-pack' illegal

in fatal car crash
Driver charged with vehicular homicide, tampering

with evidence – observed throwing beer into woods

-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------
Posted: November 12, 2006
1:00 am Eastern

© 2010 WorldNetDaily.com





Jose Trejo Encino
When Jose Trejo Encino lost control of his 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix late one night last month in Madison County, Tenn., killing one of his passengers and injuring another, he at least had the presence of mind to throw the cans of beer he had from the car into the woods before the police arrived, according to affidavits entered in court from witnesses.

Encino, 27, who admitted to deputies at the scene "to drinking a 12-pack of beer earlier in the night," is now facing charges of vehicular homicide and tampering with evidence after the one-car accident that killed Sergio Lopez, 18, and injured Hugo Trejo, 20. An administrative hold was also placed on Encino this week after an agent for the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement determined the suspect was in the U.S. illegally. He is being held on $150,000 bond.

According to affidavits from deputies who investigated the wreck, "a strong odor of an intoxicant about his person" was detected. Alcohol is believed to have contributed to the accident.

"We are awaiting the results (of the blood-alcohol-level test) from the toxicology lab," Sheriff David Woolfork told the Jackson, Tenn., Sun.

Encino's case comes as the immigration debate is beginning to focus on the problem of illegal aliens and DWI fatalities.

In neighboring North Carolina, Hispanic drivers were involved in 76,000 of the drunken-driving arrests made last year even though they make up only 10 percent of the population. The state has seen five deaths in the last two weeks in accidents caused by illegal aliens.

"These victims would be alive if our border was secure and our immigration laws were enforced," William Gheen, president of Americans For Legal Immigration, told WRAL-TV of Raleigh. "It's clear across the country – there's a direct connection between drinking and driving deaths and the illegal alien community. (We need to) crack down on illegal aliens in this state and do everything we can to prevent these preventable deaths."

While not dismissing the problem of drinking and driving, Tony Asion, an ex-cop and current director of public-safety programs for El Pueblo, a Hispanic advocacy group, said the focus on the national origin of the offenders is misplaced.

"Anytime a Latino does anything that's wrong, it's going to come down on the rest of us," he told WRAL-TV. "It's not a Latino issue. It's a drunk-driving issue, and that's what we have to deal with."

El Pueblo, along with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, has launched a multimedia education campaign to warn Spanish-speaking drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving.

The problem is that many young Hispanic men use alcohol to deal with boredom and cultural differences, said Asion.

"They're learning how to drive. They're learning how to survive," he said.

As WND reported, Asion's program came too late for 3 young people – two North Carolina State University students and a 16-year-old – who were killed by an illegal alien, who allegedly was driving drunk, and already had a record of crime in the U.S.


Pastor Rios Sanchez

Authorities say Pastor Rios Sanchez, 55, is expected back in a North Carolina court on Nov. 15 on charges he killed Helen Meghan Hughes, 22, of Summerville, S.C., Jennifer Carter, 18, of Jacksonville, N.C., and Hughes' stepbrother, 16-year-old Ben Leonard.

The two women were students at North Carolina State and all three were returning to Raleigh recently when a car crossed the center line about five miles from Sanford and collided head on with Hughes' station wagon. Two died instantly and Leonard died after being taken to Central Carolina Hospital, Highway Patrol Trooper K.T. Hill said of the Oct. 27 crash.

(Story continues below)


Sanchez is being held on $75,000 bail and an immigration detainer on three counts of involuntary manslaughter and he also may face charges of carrying fraudulent residency card, immigration authorities told the Raleigh News-Observer.

Authorities also said Sanchez had pleaded guilty to driving without a license a year ago. And court records show he was accused of a similar count in March and another in April. One count was dismissed and Sanchez failed to show up for court on the other.

"There are hundreds and hundreds of traffic citations of people who are illegal immigrants, and as a practical matter (immigration) is not notified of each one of these," Tom Lock, the prosecutor, said.


Marcos Ramos Medina. Courtesy Yakima Herald Republic

It was only a short time ago a twice-deported illegal alien with a record of drug arrests was told he was facing jail time. Marcos Ramos Medina, 35, who was found to have at least eight aliases and falsely identified himself at his first court appearance, escaped serious injury on Aug. 4, 2005, when his car swerved several times across the center line, causing a tractor-trailer rig to jackknife in Yakima, Wash. His car then plowed head-on into the 2000 Lexus driven by Peggy Keller, 53, dean of distance education at Yakima Valley Community College, killing her at the scene. As WND reported, Medina's first trial came to an abrupt end in August 2006 when Russell T. "Todd" Sharpe, a six-year Washington State Patrol officer, testified that the suspect fought against his restraints while being taken to the hospital for a blood alcohol test and refused to answer questions. The case against the Mexican national was declared a mistrial because his constitutional right to remain silent had been violated. It took a second jury only 30 minutes to find Medina guilty.

Then in 2005, WND reported, Scott Gardner of Mount Holly, N.C., was on vacation and heading to the coast with his family when his station wagon was struck by a truck driven by Ramiro Gallegos, an illegal alien charged three times previously with drunk driving. Gardner, the father of two young children, was killed. Gallegos of Mexico was charged with second-degree murder and driving while impaired.
Vitalina Bautista Vargas bids farewell to husband in court (courtesy Chattanooga Times Free Press)

In Chattanooga, Tenn., a court heard the case of an illegal alien convicted of running her car into a house and killing a 91-year-old woman. A judge ordered Vitalina Bautista Vargas deported. Amazingly, the family of the victim remained compassionate and merciful. "They wanted one of the conditions to be that she learn how to drive," prosecutor Jay Wood said. Prosecutor Wood said federal officials insisted that she be deported. He said as a convicted felon, she will not be allowed to apply to re-enter the country for at least 10 years. Louella Winton, the victim, was asleep in her bed when the car crashed into her house. The vehicle knocked the victim through the bedroom wall and threw her against the wall of the house next door.

But driving under the influence may be only the tip of the problem of illegal aliens on U.S. highways.

There also was the case of Victor Manuel Caballero. Even though he entered the country illegally from Mexico five years ago, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that he could collect damages for being hurt in an auto accident from a special state fund set up to benefit those hurt in accidents with uninsured drivers. Caballero would hitch a ride to his computer job with a co-worker, 19-year-old Ricardo Martinez. One morning, Martinez fell asleep at the wheel, veered off the road and struck a parked tractor trailer. Martinez walked away from the accident, but Caballero, who also was illegal, was badly hurt. The hospital costs of $38,300 were paid by a charity fund, while his successful lawsuit found he was eligible for up to $15,000 for "pain and suffering."

Little caution, critics say, is being exercised when it comes to preventing mayhem on America's highways as the country witnesses record high numbers of unlicensed, unregistered, uninsured drivers – millions of whom are illegal aliens like Medina.

While no one – in or out of government – tracks traffic accidents caused by illegal aliens, the statistical and anecdotal evidence suggests many of last year's 42,636 road deaths involved illegal aliens.

A report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Study found 20 percent of fatal accidents involve at least one driver who lacks a valid license. In California, another study showed that those who have never held a valid license are about five times more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than licensed drivers.

Statistically, that makes them an even greater danger on the road than drivers whose licenses have been suspended or revoked – and nearly as dangerous as drunk drivers.

While police do not routinely ask drivers about their immigration status, New York's Rockland County District Attorney Michael Bongiorno – who has prosecuted more than 20 felony cases this year involving people accused of both unlicensed driving and drunken driving – estimated that two-thirds of about 70 drivers charged in Spring Valley with misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and unlicensed driving were illegal immigrants.

"Unfortunately, the undocumented drivers here do that (drive unlicensed) more than the natives,'' said California Highway Patrol Officer Wendy Hahn. "If they've been involved in an incident, they flee because they don't want to deal with immigration.''

Federal immigration officials typically do not get involved when an undocumented person is charged with drunken driving or driving without a license, said Bongiorno and police officials around the country.

While the Census Bureau estimates there are 9 million illegal aliens living in the U.S., other sources put the figure closer to 20 million. Running parallel to those estimates are the best guesses on the number of unlicensed motorists – 17 million.

In addition, the states with the most illegal aliens also have the most unlicensed drivers. Those states are also in the lead for the most hit-and-run accidents, according to reports issued by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the Pew Hispanic Center. California ranks at the top with 24.1 percent of the known 11.1 million illegal aliens.

The proportion of unlicensed drivers varies widely state-by-state, with 6 percent in Maine and 23 percent in New Mexico.

Many of those advocating allowing illegal aliens to get driver's licenses make the case by suggesting most unlicensed drivers are so because they cannot get a license.

In California, for instance, the Legislature is considering several proposals that would help illegal immigrants drive. One of them is a bill that would prevent police from seizing vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers. Senate Bill 626 by Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, would apply to all drivers who have never obtained a California license. Opponents point out those favoring the bill are the same people promoting licenses for illegals.

'Under current state law, police can seize vehicles for up to 30 days if the driver is unlicensed. Under the new bill, if the driver never had a license, the vehicle could be seized for only 24 hours; those who had licenses suspended or revoked would still have the vehicles impounded for up to 30 days.

Who are the people who have never had a license? Disproportionately, critics of the bill say, they are illegal immigrants.

In the Maryland Legislature, Delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, D-Montgomery, is drafting legislation that would stiffen penalties for unlicensed drivers. His bill requires them to appear before a judge and would make them subject to up to 90 days in jail for a first offense and as much as a year for a second offense. In addition, cars belonging to unlicensed drivers could be impounded for up to a month or forfeited if they were involved in an accident that caused an injury.

Though there is absolutely no government data on the identity of Maryland's unlicensed drivers – or those in any other state – Simmons's bill has been attacked by immigrant rights' activists, who say it targets Latinos.

Whether they are mostly illegal aliens or not, one thing is certain – there are more unlicensed drivers on the road than ever before. So prevalent is the trend that many police departments have cut back on sobriety checkpoints in favor of checkpoints to check the documentation of drivers.

A WND statistical study of police reports of dozens of such checkpoints around the country show that close to 10 percent of drivers stopped are either unlicensed or have suspended licenses. Even at sobriety checkpoints, far more drivers are found to be unlicensed than intoxicated.

While some say the answer to the illegal alien-unlicensed driver crisis is permitting illegals to get licensed, others say the solution is decreasing the number of illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Rules determining who is eligible for a driver's license vary by state. Eleven states do not require legal immigration status to obtain a license. The rest do require proof of legal status, either by state law or the documents required to apply. The eleven states are: Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. Tennessee and Utah have introduced a separate "certificate for driving" for state residents who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the United States. But Tennessee stopped issuing the certificates in February after reports that undocumented immigrants were coming from out of state and using false documents to apply.

The Real ID act, scheduled to take effect in 2008, will prohibit all states from issuing licenses to illegal aliens or the licenses will not be accepted as identification for federal purposes.

In addition to being unlicensed, most illegal alien drivers are uninsured – making the accidents they cause even more injurious. Statewide, more than one-third of California drivers are without insurance, according to the California Department of Insurance. In some low-income and minority neighborhoods, the rate is over 50 percent. In San Jose, for instance, 55 percent of all drivers on the road have no auto insurance. In some parts of Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Alameda counties, the rate reaches as high as 90 percent.

The situation isn't much better in other states with high populations of illegals. In Texas, 27 percent of drivers are uninsured. In Florida, the estimates are between 15 and 25 percent. In Colorado, 32 percent.

There are no official statistics about highway carnage and illegal aliens. But there is an increasing awareness among law enforcement officials – and victims of traffic accidents – that illegal aliens are playing a disproportionate role in the road mayhem.

According to surveys conducted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Hispanics believe it takes 6-8 drinks to affect driving, while Americans, indoctrinated for years against drunk driving, believe it takes just 2-4 drinks.

In 2001, MADD reported 44.1 percent of California's drunk driving arrests were of Hispanics, while, officially, they made up just 31.3 percent of the population.

No it doesn't

Man Charged In Fatal Crash Is Illegal Alien

POSTED: 11:49 am EDT August 17, 2005
UPDATED: 9:10 pm EDT August 17, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS -- The man accused of driving drunk and killing two people leaving a wedding at the Indianapolis Zoo early Sunday returned to the courtroom Wednesday morning.

Rosalio Pedraza, 31, is a two-time convicted drunken driver. He's also an illegal alien.


Pedraza's bond was raised to $150,000. Prosecutors asked for the higher bond because they believe he's a flight risk.

Pedraza is charged with two counts of reckless homicide, two counts of driving under the influence, causing death with a prior and one count of driving drunk, causing serious bodily injury.

If convicted, Pedraza faces a maximum of 48 years in prison and possible deportation at the conclusion of that sentence.

Joesph Gehler, a friend of the family, and Thomas Youngstafel, the father of the groom, died in the crash.

"Tom was a loving person. His family and extended family always came first," Carl Youngstafel, the victim's brother, said. "Our families are blessed with a strong support system and a deep sense of faith, which will help us in the days to come to deal with our tragic loss."

Family members of the victims were in court in large numbers.

They urged the public to support groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and to press the legislature to increase penalties for repeat drunken drivers.

Why? The illegals who are American will stay, the ones who are not will return to Mexico or elsewhere...

Are you a man of faith?

6 Killed, 31 Hurt In East County Crash
Van Tries To Avoid Border Checkpoint

POSTED: 7:38 am PDT June 25, 2002
UPDATED: 5:46 pm PDT June 25, 2002

SAN DIEGO -- Six people were killed and at least 31 others injured when the wrong-way driver of a van packed with illegal immigrants struck four vehicles in East County, 10News reported.
The driver of a 1994 Dodge van carrying 33 migrants was headed west in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 8 near Sunrise Highway with the vehicle's lights off at about 9 p.m. Monday when it struck two cars, then crashed head-on into a Ford Explorer and a Toyota van, said California Highway Patrol officer Larry Landeros.

To try to avoid U.S. border patrol authorities, the driver took the van into opposite lanes of traffic to miss a nearby immigration checkpoint that stops only westbound traffic, CHP officer Steven Lopez said, adding that oncoming traffic could not see the blacked-out Dodge.


A Honda Accord and a Honda Prelude headed east on the freeway all sideswiped the Dodge before the Ford smashed into it head-on, Lopez said.

"The Ford was knocked airborne from the impact and vaulted over a guardrail and down an embankment," Landeros said. "The Dodge van then struck head-on a 1989 Toyota van," driven by a 45-year-old Boulevard woman.

The man who was driving the Ford, later identified as Larry S. Baca, 50, of Albuquerque, died at the scene and a woman in the passenger seat was critically injured, Lopez said.

"There were a total of 43 occupants in all of the involved vehicles," Landeros said. Landers said the accident was "one of the worst that we've had."

The injured were taken to eight area hospitals, according to 10News.

ya right right you have your a shill nothing more nothing less

Illegal alien gets 6 years in death of WWII vet

-------------------------------------------------------------​-------------------

Chester Dillahunt of Fairfield survived World War II and the Korean War to be killed at the age of 86 by a drunken illegal immigrant.

On Friday, Jeronimo Rocha, from Brazil, was sentenced to six years in prison for the crime. He'll be deported back to Brazil after he serves his term.

"I feel very guilty about everything that happened," Rocha told Superior Court Judge Roland Fasano on Friday. "I'm very saddened by the fact that somebody died."

"All of this suffering was caused by a man who was illegally in this country, driving drunk without a license and without insurance," retorted Fasano, as he handed down the sentence. But the judge stopped short of imposing the eight-year term urged by Assistant State's Attorney Howard Stein. "We are all aware the defendant didn't wake up that morning intending to go out and kill someone," Fasano said.

I dont lie.

Come to think of it ...

Spain --
*In the Middle Ages, her monarchy was subject to the Pope, to the extent that religious zealots promoted torture and barbarism in the form of the Spanish Inquisition.
*In the Colonial period, Spanish conquistadors raped and pillaged the native tribes of Mexico and the American southwest. Tragically, they destroyed most all of the Mayan written records, which included advanced astronomy.
*During WWII, both Mexico and Spain stood on the sidelines.

England --
*Produced the Magna Carta which promoted private property rights.
*Henry VIII threw off Papal rule.
*Queen Elizabeth I defeated the Spanish Armada.
*King James I ordered that the Bible be printed in English so that even commoners had access, which facilitated the Protestant Reformation movement.
*In the 16th century, English philosopher, John Locke, conceptualized "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for the first time.

The United States --
*Threw off the English monarchy.
*Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men were created equal and concretized John Locke's ideas into a form of government. This was the first time in the history of the world that such a radical government of the concepts and principles of The Rule of Law existed on the face of the earth.
*American army defeated the British Empire twice.
*Acquired land through various treaties and wars across the entire continent.
*Overcame a Civil War.
*Won both WWI and WWII. (You're welcome.)
*Defeated the Soviet Union.
(You're welcome.)
*Remains the most powerful and richest country on earth.

So it is not surprising when people from countries, whose histories do not include such a record of courage and principle, whine with resentment about the United States. But it sure is tedious.

Regardless, we, Americans, have told Presidents that no one is above the law. That's all any foreign national needs to know about our internal domestic issues.

Oh and ... you're welcome.

Charges Filed In Wreck That Killed Ex-Coach
16-Year-Old Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter
POSTED: 1:20 pm CDT April 5, 2006
UPDATED: 9:43 pm CDT April 5, 2006
Email Print
KANSAS CITY, Mo. --


Wyandotte County, Kan., prosecutors filed charges Wednesday in a wreck that killed a former football coach at Olathe North High School.

David K. Bassore, 51, of Liberty, was driving home from work Monday on Interstate 35 near the 18th Street Expressway exit when his pickup truck was clipped by a Dodge Neon. Bassore's pickup went off the road, rolling twice before it stopped on its side. Bassore was thrown from the vehicle. He died at the scene.

Prosecutors charged the driver of the Neon, 16-year-old Raul Cabrera, of Shawnee, Kan., with one count of involuntary manslaughter in juvenile court.

Officials said Cabrera is an illegal immigrant, and the judge decided the teen should remain in custody.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is still investigating the fatal wreck, but they suspect Cabrera was drag racing with another car.

KMBC's Maria Antonia reported that Cabrera's mother said her son was not racing; he was being chased by another driver and that he had been followed for several days.

Officials said they are considering charging Cabrera as an adult or upping the charge to second-degree murder.

Bassore had recently resigned from his coaching position at Olathe after being at the school a year.

Wednesday night, Olathe students held a vigil for their former coach.

"He'd probably say, 'What are you guys crying over me for? I want you guys to be positive and happy,'" football player Jarod Milo said.

"Really made you feel at home, at school, and made it a fun thing and brought a smile to everybody," student Kim Burnell said. "We just want to get people involved and let them know who he was and if they didn't know him, let them know what a great person he was."

"He loved every player on his team and we loved him back," football player Raymond Due said.