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Why I commuted Maurice Clemmons's sentence
Washington Post ^ | December 7, 2009 | Mike Huckabee

Posted on 12/08/2009 3:42:46 AM PST by FTJM

The nation was stunned by the senseless and savage cold-blooded murders of four young police officers in Lakewood, Wash., over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Whenever a police officer or soldier is killed, the loss is even more profound, for they are the ones who stand between our way of life and total anarchy.

Nine years ago, the name Maurice Clemmons crossed my desk. I commuted his sentence from 108 years to 47 years. I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago. I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. If I only had the same information I had then, I would make the same decision.

Each state is different, but in Arkansas, a governor doesn't initiate a parole -- the Post Prison Transfer Board (PPTB) does so after it conducts a thorough review of an inmate's file and request. The board then makes a recommendation to the governor, who decides to grant or deny it.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: clemency; elmergantry; huckabee; leo; mauriceclemmons; multiplehomicides; police; policeofficers; pontiuspilate; whenconmengetconned
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To: Texas Jack
What I'm reading between the lines here is that he is planning on running for President, otherwise he wouldn't feel compelled to gloss this thing over.

Maybe. I'm also wondering if he's just desperately running around trying to save his credibility and maintain his relevance as a high-profile name in the media.

41 posted on 12/08/2009 5:44:38 AM PST by Alberta's Child (God is great, beer is good . . . and people are crazy.)
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To: Alberta's Child
Maybe. I'm also wondering if he's just desperately running around trying to save his credibility and maintain his relevance as a high-profile name in the media.

Huckabee is all about promoting himself. Maybe he knows his POTUS ambitions aren't realistic, but the day a Republican takes the oath of office, Mike will have visions of a White House appt. going thru his empty head.

Meanwhile, he's pimping his hypocritical books and yukking it up with Liberals on his TV show. He's fighting for survival and no way in hell is he EVER going to take an ounce of blame for this.

sw

42 posted on 12/08/2009 5:51:46 AM PST by spectre (Spectre's wife)
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To: FTJM

Mike, maybe the Lord will forgive you, but hopefully the voters won’t.


43 posted on 12/08/2009 5:52:15 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (There are only two REAL conservatives in America - myself, and my chosen Presidential candidate)
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To: chainsaw

The Judge who presided over the trial recommended commuting the sentence.


44 posted on 12/08/2009 6:02:45 AM PST by Wpin (I do not regret my admiration for W)
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To: sodpoodle

“******I suppose he will be the RINO in waiting that the Republicans will be looking for as a candidate*****

He is now the chosen GOP candidate the MSM will promote for the party nomination. ala McCain.”

No, Huckabee was a conservative potential that the left blew up with the help of ignorant so called conservatives who don’t bother to discern what they read nor research.


45 posted on 12/08/2009 6:06:29 AM PST by Wpin (I do not regret my admiration for W)
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To: TomGuy
>>>Why to 47?

Why not 50? or 10? or 18?

Because 47 made him eligible for parole.

Man-up Huck. You knew what you were doing and why.<<<

Great point! It seems like a rather odd “coincidence” that Huckabee commuted his sentence to an odd length, exactly short enough to make Clemmons immediately eligible for parole, and he was released a month later.

Clearly, Huckabee intended that Clemmons be released immediately.

If he had simply sincerely apologized and admitted he was convinced Clemmons was reformed and that 25 years was too long a sentence, I'd forgive him. I would not trust his judgment enough to vote for him, but I wouldn't have such a negative view of him. All the deception and playing games with words and numbers he has employed, in trying to escape responsibility for his tragic mistake, is making me really dislike Huckabee. I can only imagne how hurtful it must be to the families of the murdered officers. I believe a sincere and unconditional apology would have given them some degree of comfort. Huckabee's twisting of the truth must be making them feel worse.

46 posted on 12/08/2009 6:11:04 AM PST by Above My Pay Grade
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To: FTJM

Give it up, Huckster. You are melba toast.


47 posted on 12/08/2009 6:40:41 AM PST by paddles
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To: FTJM

Spread the blame around, jaaa.

California has No Fault gubamint too.

These could have as easily been 4 police officers murdered in Oakland. Oh wait..


48 posted on 12/08/2009 10:09:11 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. May yur bandwidth exceed your girth)
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Memorial Service is ongoing in Tacoma, WA for the four fallen officers.


49 posted on 12/08/2009 10:11:28 AM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. May yur bandwidth exceed your girth)
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To: Buckeye Battle Cry

“It’s quite telling that he ran to the Washington Post to run his excuse.”

The MSM hopes to keep Huck alive so as to split the Evangelical vote, they’re hoping he can sink Sarah before she gets a chance to go against 0bama. The MSM will beat up on him for awhile, but find a way to sweep it under the rug or make excuses for him. Of course should Huck actually win the GOP nomination in 2012 and go up against 0bama all this crap will be “re-visited.”


50 posted on 12/08/2009 10:53:33 AM PST by jim35 (A racist is someone who is winning an argument with a liberal.)
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To: amom

Article at link has details of clemency.


51 posted on 12/08/2009 11:12:46 AM PST by amom
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To: indylindy

I was never a Huck fan. But it is time for a very critical look at why Washington State didn’t do anything when Clemmons was charged with rape of a young girl or kept in jail when he punched a cop.

I heard yesterday that Wa. State didn’t get the info on his prior history from Arkansas because they didn’t enter the info correctly in to the national data base.

Not sure if that is true but if it is, someone else in Ark. needs to be strung up next to Huck and the other bureaucrats who let this trash slip through.


52 posted on 12/09/2009 6:18:27 AM PST by submarinerswife ("If I win I can't 't be stopped! If I lose I shall be dead." - George S. Patton)
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To: submarinerswife

I will agree that Huck opened the floodgate and everyone else that dealt with this monster from the day he walked out of prison also failed. But I disagree with those that agree that Huck was correct in his decision. It was his job as a governor to look out 1st for the citizens welfare.

Truth is that Huck should not have let this guy get out. He had a total sentence of 108 years. Sounds bad, but he would have been up for parole after serving about 27 years. He only served 11 of 108 years. Not nearly enough for an anti social monster.

To me it would have not made one bit of difference if this Clemmons would have been white and he murdered 4 black cops. The guy would still have been a monster and a murderer.


53 posted on 12/09/2009 6:34:55 AM PST by dforest (Who is the real Jim Thompson? I am.)
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To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
I'd be perfectly willing to change the word "bandwidth" in that sentence to "oxygen," myself.

I nominate Huck to be a sequestor of CO2 emissions.

54 posted on 12/09/2009 6:39:24 AM PST by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
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To: kenmcg
Old Huckabee is playing the blame game. Not the kind of guy you’d fight out of a foxhole with. He’s as spineles bleeding heart liberal.

Huck's a REMF.

55 posted on 12/09/2009 6:41:13 AM PST by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
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To: Alberta's Child
There's just got to be a quatrain from ol' Nosty regarding Clinton's successor!

A guy like Huck would have been a slam dunk, don't you think?

Like you, I'm done with Arkansas governors. Add to that list political dynasties, such as anyone with a last name of Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, etc.

56 posted on 12/09/2009 6:45:49 AM PST by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
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To: Night Hides Not

LOL, I hear you. I just pinged you to another post from yesterday that you might find mildly entertaining.


57 posted on 12/09/2009 6:51:46 AM PST by Alberta's Child (God is great, beer is good . . . and people are crazy.)
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