Posted on 12/02/2009 4:44:10 AM PST by blf1776
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Former Arkansas Governor and Presidental Candidate Mike Huckabee spoke at the Annual Tippecanoe County Right to Life banquet in West Lafayette.
Huckabee has been under scrutiny after a man shot and killed four cops in a coffee shop in Seattle. Maurice Clemmons, the suspect, was facing a lifetime in prison in Arkansas when Huckabee was governor. Huckabee shortened Clemmons' sentence.
"Here was a kid at age 16 had committed a burgarly and a robbery and got a 108 year sentence," Huckabee said Tuesday night at the Right to Life annual banquet on Purdue's campus. "The judge thought it was unfair. The parole board did and recommended to me to commute his sentence. I didn't let him loose because I didn't have that power as a governor. I commutted his sentence to 47 years giving him the oppurtunity to be parole eligible."
Six days after posting bail in Washington on charges of child rape, Clemmons opened fire on four police officers. Huckabee says that isn't the same man he knew back in 2000.
"He wasn't a cop killer. He wasn't a rapist. He wasn't a violent criminal. He wasn't a fugitive from justice. He was a person at 16 did some dumb things and some criminal things. I don't know a single person that can look me in the eye and tell me that if they had that same file in front of them they wouldn't believe that maybe 47 years was a more appropriate sentence for what he did as a minor," Huckabee said.
Huckabee says that if he had to make that decision again today with the knowledge of what Clemmons was going to do, Huckabee would never have changed Clemmons' sentence.
"If I had the exact same information in front of me tonight that I did 9 years ago in a case exactly the same, I would make the exact same decision because I can't imagine anyone would not. If I could have looked into the future, of course I wouldn't have, but I couldn't do that," Huckabee said. "What I don't understand is those who could see his actions. The judges in Washington who knew he had raped a child and that he had now several psychotic episodes why he was able to get out on bail, that I can't answer."
A Seattle police officer shot and killed Maurice Clemmons, the man they suspected in the shooting of four Washington police officers. For now, police are searching for family and friends of Clemmons who they believe helped him elude police.
Just shut up Mike
The two judges made the right decisions, long prison sentence in Arkansas and no bail in Washington. They were both overriden and now four hero officers are dead. Just go away Huckabee, please, and do it now.
Huck, say good bye to your political career.
Looks like all that talk about not being overly interested in a 2012 run (”I like my job at Fox”) is just so much BS.
He wants to be prez and he wants to spin away his clemency problem.
What was it, Mike, over a 1000 criminals set free?
You can’t set free 1000 criminals without having a few back-fires.
Making omelets... breaking eggs... is that what you’re saying?
This is very confusing. I thought Huckabee was taking full responsibility.
As governor the responsibility and blame landed squarely on his desk. When he took the job he accepted the blame.
On the other hand there are plenty of others who deserve a share of blame. The clemency petition had to go through multiple layers of bureaucracy to get to the Huckster’s desk. Seems that everyone from somewhere in prison management rubber stamped the thing and passed it on up the line.
He wasn’t a cop killer. He wasn’t a rapist. He wasn’t a violent criminal.
Umm, yeah, Huck he was. He just proved it.
Welcome to the Camp,
I guess you all know why we’re here.
My name is Hucky
And I became aware last year
If you want to follow me,
You’ve got to play pinball.
And put in your earplugs
Put on your eyeshades
You know where to put the cork
I agree with Huckabee on the fact that Clemmons is definitely no longer the same person. He now has a few holes in him and is no longer a living person. He is now a dead person.
What is the upside of giving violent criminals an early release or commutation? Isn’t the commutation and pardon one of the executive branch’s checks on judiciary power. The ability to remedy a clear injustice. As far as reducing sentences for justly convicted and sentenced individuals, why even bother?
I guess the Shuckster is also ignoring the fact that Clemmons getaway driver is also an exec Arkansas inmate released early. And please don’t give me any excuses about the parole board. Who in the hell do you think appoints the parole board?
If you never met him in person, you never knew him... I'm assuming this kid was no more than a name on a piece of paper with a record that Mike was reading. I would be amazed if Mike actually went to the big house and met with him before determining what to do with him. Maybe Mike should go visit an Army base and take a ride on a tank...
Huck is only defending himself from all the vitriol on the right, which to me is disgusting and anti-Christian. He didn’t release the man. He wasn’t part of the fiasco of those two judges who gave him the opportunity to make bail after a child rape charge.
Enough already with attacking him to make political points or to prop up the deadweight Romney. Romney has enough blood on his hands for supporting abortion in Massachusetts for so many years but I don’t see a lot of Free Republic members (especially the Mormon members) having an incessant cow over that.
You’re absolutely correct. The only thing that I bought from Huck in his Fox News Sunday interview is his need to reach out to the GOP establishment and the Beltway for him to win the nomination.
With Clemmons, I think the point everyone is missing is that not necessarily he is going to lose a huge amount of his base of support among evangelicals but that the GOP establishment will never embrace him now, even if Romney falters. Before Clemmons there was a slight chance that might have happened.
Instead the GOP establishment will now be holding “American idol auditions” for a dark horse to put in the bullpen as a contingency plan in case Romney cannot pick his favorables with Republicans and conservatives over time.
This is the primary reason I think Huck will not run in 2012.
Jesus. First rule of holes, Pass-the-Buck-A-Bee!
Best,
Chris
I could have sworn I heard thet when Clemmons was in the courtroom he came in with a shiv in his sock and also tried to grab a gun from a baliff.
Maybe I didn’t hear this correctly. What say you Huck?
I call BS on this right here. No one at 16 gets 108 years on their first conviction for burglary and robbery without there being deaths involved.
How long was his rap sheet of crimes before he finally got in front of a judge? This "kid" must have had pages of arrests and releases on his record before any DA and judge would allow a first time thief at 16 to get a life sentence, especially in Arkansas.
I wish we could find out what his record was before this conviction, but it would mean opening his records as a minor and that isn't going to happen I bet.
Actually, over the past several weeks, nearly every thread posted had an automatic anti-Romney message attached to it. Did you not notice?
I know there are some pro-Romney FReepers. I’m not one of them. And I stand by what I posted about the Huckster.
He freed 1000 criminals. Are you aware of that?
Pure and simple Huckelbee’s a joke. He pardoned many more convicted felons than his predecessor, Bill Clinton. Suggest Hucklebee return to Arkansas and run for dog-catcher while he strums on his guitar. The blood of these cops is on his hands.
So he only served 9 years of a 47 year sentance?? Great parole board there.
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