1. Huckabee offered no “pardon” to Maurice Clemmons.
For the crimes of theft and burglary, Maurice Clemmons at the age of 16 was sentenced to 108 years. In all likelihood, had the same crimes been committed by a white youth from a middle class family, he would’ve received 20 years and been out on probation in under ten. What Governor Huckabee did do was reduce the 108 years to a sentence of 47 years. Shortly thereafter—not simultaneously—Clemmons met the qualifications for parole, and the parole board allowed him to go free, but kept him on probation.
2. Huckabee was not an activist in the Clemmons parole.
Some have claimed that Huckabee sought and pressured the parole board to intercede in the Clemmons case. This is blatantly false. The truth is that the parole board requested the Governor to consider the sentence reduction, as did the presiding judge. Governor Huckabee sought the input from the Attorney General and the prosecutors in the case. Both declined to weigh in. The judge and parole board were both unanimous in the decision to grant parole.
3. Huckabee had nothing to do with Clemmons release.
Following the short period of time that Clemmons had been paroled, he violated his parole by committing another minor offense. As is the case in all probation issues, that violation brought him back to prison to serve time for his crimes. Once back in prison, the Governor ceased to play any role. His sentence was back in effect. Prosecutorial malfeasance and a judge’s lack of action caused Clemmons’ second release from the Arkansas prison system.
If Governor Huckabee’s sentence reduction allowed Clemmons any opportunity to do crime it was to violate his parole. Once violated however, Clemmons was back into the digestive track of the Arkansas justice system.
The major scandal here is why none of the supporters of the candidate who finished third in the 2004 primaries have not focused one ounce of attention on the two judges that allowed Clemmons to go free following the rape of a child, who was a female relative, some nine years after the Arkansas prosecutors dropped the ball.
Huckabee was in essence reducing a sentence for petty theft from 108 to 47 years for a black kid. White kids would’ve gotten far more preferential treatment in the courts.
Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2009/12/06/why_huckabee_aint_dead_yet/page/full
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Huckabee’s a “grifter” just like the Clintons ... except he always carries a bible around with him ...
He did pretty good on his TV show, though ...
entertaining chap ...
Although I still harbor and disdain the Huckster, I will do so from now on for different political reasons.
Again, thank you very much, for this information update. :-)