- Haunted by his past
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s decision in 2000 to commute the sentence of Maurice Clemmons has haunted him in recent days. The former Arkansas prisoner was sentenced in 1989 to 108 years in prison. A year after his parole in 2000, Clemmons was again sent to prison for a robbery conviction but was released in 2004.
On Sunday, the 37-year-old Clemmons walked into a Seattle coffeeshop and killed four police officers. After moving to Washington state, Clemmons racked up more felony charges but somehow eluded prison.
Now, Huckabee is taking the brunt of the blame for commuting Clemmons’ sentence with detractors saying that he’d still be in prison today if it weren’t for Huckabee’s decision. The former governor says if he had known what Clemmons was capable of, he would never have chosen to decrease his prison sentence.
However, some say the damage is done and this news will ruin Huckabee’s chances of a successful presidential bid in 2012. What do you think?
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Are you kidding me…we have had politicians who have had affairs…the president was doing some of the most disgraceful things in office and this is the end of his career…..We voted in a president with non american tendencies and we are not going to vote for this guy…give me a break
so does that mean that extra marital affairs are more harmful for society than releasing felons who go on to kill 4 police officers?
i personally like Huckabee but i dont really understand your logic. maybe it’s flawed? maybe not, but i think it might be
I agree 100% with K.C. You now have Clinton & Obama you voted for them.
Don’t forget Wayne Dumond who also was released by Huckabee. After being released, he went to Missouri and killed two more people.
Huckabee says he is disqusted that he is being blamed for this incident. Well…sorry you’re disgusted Mike. I’m disgusted that you are disgusted. This guy was a violent career criminal. Learn what that means and protect other people from these kinds of guys. You had all the signs sitting in front of you but you chose to ignore them and now people like me are not going to support you for another chance. Your bad decisions have caused the deaths of innocent people more than once. You did the same thing with Wayne DuMond.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_DuMond
I personally would rather elect a president who has served as a governor and has been “tested” with hard decisions such as these. I want a president who will make a decision based on the facts he knows at the time without worrying about the future where something might change. Elect a senator and then you have someone who will have to experience these hard decisions for the first time when the situation is much more serious.
Consider this: No one would have said it was wrong to have released Clemmons if he hadn’t just killed those 4 officers.
The governor doesn’t just decide to commute a sentence on his own. He first gets a recommendation from the prison parole board. The parole board recommended in 2000 by a 5-0 vote for his sentence to be commuted. A period of 30 days is then started for there to be public input as well as response from the above named officials. At the end of the public response period, the final decision is rendered. Despite news reports to the contrary, the only record of public response to the notice to commute was from the trial judge, who recommended the commendation in concert with the board. There were letters of support, but no record of letters of opposition. Huckabee shortened his sentence from 108 years to 47 years, making him eligible for parole. The parole board then granted parole. None of these people knew what Clemmons would do.
The details of Maurice Clemmons criminal record has been tricky to follow, but in regard to your first paragraph, it
has been reported that Maurice Clemmons was sentenced to 5 years for robbery in Pulaski County, Aug. 3, 1989,
he was sentenced to 8 years for burglary, theft and probation revocation in Pulaski County, Sept. 9, 1989, he was
sentenced to an indeterminate amount of time for aggravated robbery and theft in Pulaski County, Nov. 15,
1989, was sentenced to 20 years each for burglary and theft of property in Pulaski County, Feb. 23, 1990. He
was Sentenced to 6 years for firearm possession in Pulaski County, Nov. 19, 1990. On May 3, 2000,
Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted Clemmons’ sentence to 47 years. Clemmons then returned to prison for a July 13, 2001 conviction for robbery in Ouachita County, for which he received a 10-year sentence. He was paroled March 18, 2004. (Huckabee, served as governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007.) Huckabee has a history of supporting pardons
and commuting the sentences of violent offenders. According to ABC News, Huckabee granted pardons and
commutations to approximately 12 convicted murderers. It is reported that Huckabee’s parole board let
Clemmons go twice. I’m talking here about the second time he was released in 2004 and not the first time
that he was released when he was reported to have been released because of “his young age”. If these facts,
presented in the media, are all true, then it is clear to me that Huckabee has failed any test that might have
been given to him. Between the acts of Wayne Dumond and Maurice Clemmons six people have died and
we have not counted up any possible deaths that might have occured from the other 10 convicted murderers
for which Huckabee has also commutted sentences.
Yes, justice should be tempered with mercy, but, Huckabee has systematically and routinely neglected the
rights of many (some now dead) and their families and friends now grieving. He does not seem to have looked
into the details of these cases well. I judge him harshly because he has shown bad judgement and he has
established a pattern of neglect for the rights and safety of the People of the Great State of Arkansas as well
as for States beyond.
Because of Huckabee’s personal religious beliefs getting in the way of common sense (which they so
often do and have done throughout history) he let violent criminals go free. We have not been
told how many others he pardoned have gone on to commit additional criminal acts. He did this
three times more often than the previous three govenors. The man’s proudest act was writing
a book about his own weight loss, but look at his sons.
This is not the kind of man we need in as a leader of anything. Including a local gym, as he has not
had the will or strength to even keep his own weight down.
Give him a job in his church and leave the rest of us alone.
Almost all men and most certainly all men with power, influence, money or that even take a bath frequently do, or wish they had several women in their beds. That also has been throughout history. So get over it. We are only a higher animal, and at times only slightly at that. Of course women are also involved, love the bragging rights and control over men with power, influence, money, etc. At least usually sex does not start unnecessary stupid wars.
Thank goodness we do have some here in Arkansas that do remember Wayne Dumond being also granted clemency to only murder again and again. Maurice Clemmons is only the second publicized that was granted clemency by Huckabee. Former Governor Huckabee was too sympathetic to violent criminals while in office, arguing for their rights to remain on the Gov’s property and how he was not afraid of them when a whole area of LR found out that violent criminals were being transported to their area to work outside of the prison gates and had meetings with the State Police about it giving their reasons why they did not feel safe with them so undersupervised. Well Huckabee just has been one of the lucky ones that a violent criminal has not killed one of his loved ones. There are too many inmates that are not violent criminals in prison that could be transported to work in areas not owned by the correctional department, and be considered for clemency that have paid for their crimes and deserve another chance, but a violent criminal should not get the privilege of being outside the prison walls/fences until they have paid their full sentence. If the prison board and parole boards cannot understand this, than a Governor should be strong enough to not hasten the criminal’s departure from prison and help the inmate stay where he is until his full time has been served behind bars. For Huckabee to say “IF” should show he definitely should not be in a position to make major decisions! There are facts that can be checked out, not just what has been put down on paperwork to look good for parole, clemency, etc. I thought the time frame for the Governor to make a decision such as clemency was for that purpose! I couldn’t vote for him for dog catcher.