Admin Moderator has also used a great Bible verse to promise complete and irrevocable justice.
Posted on 12/02/2009 1:51:55 AM PST by Silly
Cop-Killer???
A little bit of light needs to be shed on a funny little thing called FACTS as it pertains to the issues surrounding the suspected cop-killer Maurice Clemmons. Shamefully prominent voices in the Conservative punditocracy (mostly ones who supported Romney in the last go-round) have come out attempting to link Gov. Mike Huckabee to the killings in Seattle that took the lives of four police officers.
Most of these spared little thought for the families, and jumped right into the band-wagon in denouncing Huck as soft on crime, and a friend to criminals, or a bleeding heart Christian. (Funny how the mainstream always accuses Christians of not having a heart.)
All that being said, these Conservative pundits are wrong on the material substance in linking the two and if they continue to do so it says more about their own character than that of the former Governor.
Yes Gov. Huckabee commuted a 100+ year sentence for a person who was a minor when he committed a series of burglaries. He commuted it all the way down to 40 years.
But let’s get some facts straight:
1. That commutation did not pardon, declare innocent or acquit Clemmons of his wrong doing.
2. Clemmons remained on parole following his commutation and when he violated that parole he was brought in for those crimes. (At this point in time, Huckabee’s involvement with Clemmons was over.)
3. It was prosecutorial malfeasance that THEN allowed Clemmons to walk free, NOT a Huckabee commutation.
4. Sometime after that incident Clemmons moves to Washington State, and by all signs possible, lives the life of a model citizen.
5. After that 5-6 year stretch of time Clemmons begins to have skirmishes with Washington State authorities.
6. In Washington State there is a 3 strike law. Which means that when accumulating serious offenses in that state, the third time will incur automatic sentencing that can not be altered.
7. The child-rape Clemmons was most recently charged with was considered his 3rd strike IN WASHINGTON.
The corrupt state of Washington, now in the iron grip of the Grigoire regime, turned him loose to kill.
Are there questionable releases under ex-Governor Romney? What about Palin too?
I would imagine that George Washington would want his name removed from such as state as “Washington”.
Doesn't this line also apply to GWB and MOST people in the Republican Party?
Not really, but when popularity leads you to poor judgment then you end up where Huck is now.
The Huckster is a criminal coddler, period.
He commuted the sentences of more criminals, including violent killers like rapists and murderers, than the three previous governors. In fact, he did it THREE times more than the previous three!
Ask the folks who were raped and murdered by the criminals he released how they feel.
The Huskster took it upon himself to commute the sentence of Clemmons - NULLIFYINH A JURY DECESION.
He could of reduced the sentence to a level that allowed Clemmons some hope but did not make him eligible for parole.
The Huskster commuted the sentences over over 1,000 convicts in 10 years - mostly because they claimed to have had a Jesus moment in prison.
During the Husksters term the over 1,000 commutations was
MORE than all of the States touching Arkansas COMBINED had in similar actions.
A few corrections to your facts that are relevant.
With Clemmons original sentence, he was not eligible for parole until 2048. With Huckabee starting and signing a clemency petition for Clemmons, Huckabee assured Clemmons would have the immediate opportunity for parole.
Huckabee’s original petition refers to two felony convictions when in reality Clemmons had been found guilty of 5 felonies, including using a gun in the commission of a crime. Clemmons also admits to having a discipline problem while incarcerated. That should have raised red flags with both the governors office and the parole board.
Huckabee states there was no objection from anyone in law enforcement - this contradicts the statements made by the original prosecutor.
Interestingly Clemmons clemency petition states that the 6th judicial courts were notified and given a chance to object. The 6th Judicial District is the appeals court; the original judge and prosecutor were not notified at the time of clemency. Judge Humphrey from the 6th Judicial District, who had already reduced Clemmons sentence, is the only person notified and given a chance to object.
It is not until Clemmons parole hearing in 2000 and 2004 that the original prosecutor Larry Jegley is informed of Clemmons potential release. At both parole hearings, Jegley objects. Jegley is also on record (AP, Reuters, Seattle Examiner) that when he learned Clemmons was being considered for clemency by Gov. Huckabee he personally contacted to Governors office to raise his objections.
Another interesting side note, in the 2004 parole hearings, Clemmons had received an additional felony conviction in 2001 for robbery out of Ouachita County Ark.
Huckabee fails to mention that Clemmons appealed his conviction to the Arkansas Circuit Court who upheld both Clemmons sentence and his convictions. Judge Marion Humphrey, appellate judge, reduced Clemmons sentence on two felony convictions by having his sentence run concurrent. By reducing the sentence, Clemmons would be eligible for parole after serving at least 5 more years on his sentence which had been cut from 108 years down to 47 years. Instead Clemmons was eligible for parole immediately after receiving clemency.
Even after receiving a sentence reduction, Clemmons petitioned the Gov’s office for clemmancy for two convictions. Gov. Huckabee, without speaking to any of the victims of the crimes, the prosecutor or law enforcement agreed to support the petition to the parole board. That Clemmons was 16 when sentenced is the reasoning used to justify clemency.
Huckabee had a well known habit of not speaking to victims, law enforcement or prosecutors before determining clemency or a pardon. Huckabee was a pardon/clemency machine, signing over 1100 petitions as governor.
While it’s factually correct to say Huckabee did not grant Clemmons immediate release, Huckabee made it possible for Clemmons, a violent habitual criminal, to receive parole only 3 years later.
This case is an extreme example of the failure of the justice system to protect society from habitual, violent felons. At almost every step someone dropped the ball assuring Clemmons was able to commit multiple felonies. Huckabee started that ball rolling; and while he should not be held responsible for the failures of the CJ System in Arkansas once he left the Governors office and Washington State, his role should not be sugarcoated either.
There is one glaring fact that can’t be argued. If Huckabee had not granted clemency for Clemmons, he would still be in prison awaiting a parole hearing sometime in 2020.
The facts I’m presenting can be found at
http://www.arkansasonline.com/documents/2009/nov/30/clemmons-clemency-documents/
I have never been a big fan of Huck, however, after reviewing the facts, I don’t blame Huck for this one.
Admin Moderator has also used a great Bible verse to promise complete and irrevocable justice.
Excellent.
Commutation by a commutarian. Has a nice ring to it.
Not at all?
I can understand people saying that others should share some blame as well, but to absolve him completely?
That's absurd.
Huckabee wasn’t presidential material before this and still isn’t. He was a known bleeding heart back then and is more so now. Like Romney, he should just get off the national stage.
Case closed.
I want someone in office than can do the job. It is not a personality contest if I like them or not. Can they do the job? I would hate to see what he would do with terrorists using his misguided compassion.
The American Spectator reports that Huckabee pardoned 1,033 individuals - more than the three previous governors before hime combined - over 500 from 3 governors - and more than the six states surrounding Arkansas combined. Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas a total of 12 years and yet never came close to pardoning that many criminals. So the length of his term has nothing to do with the number of criminals Huckaphoney pardoned.
Same with Romney. Keep yer head down, socialist-healthcare boy!
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