The man wanted in connection with the murder yesterday in Washington State of four police officers was previously paroled from a 95 year sentence thanks to then Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee:
Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.
Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors.
“This is the day I’ve been dreading for a long time,” Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas’ Pulaski County said tonight when informed that Clemmons was being sought for questioning in connection with the killings.
Clemmons’ criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.
Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, issued a statement tonight calling the slaying of the police officers “a horrible and tragic event.”
If Clemmons is found responsible, “it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State,” Huckabee said.
He added that Clemmons’ release from prison had been reviewed and approved by the Arkansas parole board
Yes, but that would not have happened if Huckabee had not granted clemency to begin with.
To be fair to Huckabee, there are other failures of the criminal justice system at work here, such as this:
Clemmons had been in jail in Pierce County for the past several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child. He was released from custody just six days ago, even though was staring at seven additional felony charges in Washington state.
Clemmons posted $15,000 with a Chehalis company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. The bondsman, in turn, put up $150,000, securing Clemmons’ release on the pending child-rape charge.
But, it’s pretty easy to point fingers back at Huckabee here, and the attack commercial pretty much writes itself.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Huckabee has a long history of questionable pardons and commutations.
http://wizbangpolitics.com/2007/12/11/huckabees-pardon-woes-may-just-be-beginning.php
December 1st, 2009 at 6:37 am
No one should forget about Wayne Dumond. That was the Huckster’s first Wilie Horton Moment.
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=154e1aad-fd18-4efd-8d80-b5dab8559419
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Why are governors (and the POTUS) allowed to pardon criminals anyway?
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
It goes back to English law and was one of the powers of the soverign