By Liz Rodriguez
Former Republican Governor Mike Huckabee commuted Maurice Clemmons’ 108-year prison term. This made him immediately eligible for parole and he got out of jail three months later.
His criminal history included at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington, according to The Seattle Times. He had a lengthy prison sentence commuted in 2000 by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who cited Clemmons’ youth.
Rhonda Sharp, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Parole Board, said then-Gov. Huckabee commuted Clemmons’ 108-year prison term to a sentence of 47 years, five months and 19 days.
“[Huckabee's commutation] made him eligible for parole at that point,” Sharp told FoxNews.com on Monday.
Months after being released Clemmon’s violated his parole, went back to jail, got released again, committed several more felonies, assaulted a police officer, raped a child, went to jail then walked free six days before he killed 4 cops in a coffee house.
Clemmons also thought he was Jesus.
Let’s think about it. If Huckabee would have never made Clemmon’s eligible for parole where would he be? He would still be behind bars! But Huckabee thought he knew better than the system that sentenced him, and is ultimately responsible for this cop killer walking among us.
All the details of this case are linked at the end of the blog. My beef is with Huckabee unleashing Clemmons among 1,033 criminals, including 12 convicted murderers, back on the streets. Many of them to murder and rape again.
The AP reported:
Clemmons was among 1,033 people who were pardoned or had their sentences reduced during Huckabee’s 10 1/2 years as governor.
As many of you know, Huckabee is also an ordained Baptist minister. What kind of Christian leader goes around letting convicted criminals walk free? Not one that any of us should be listening to. It appears Huckabee has a difficult time differentiating between God, politics, and religion. His reality is blurred and because of that, Republicans must not allow him to represent the GOP. And if they do, they will lose many Republican voters for good.
My guess as to why Huckabee commuted dangerous criminals’ prison sentences is that he was and still is, on a god-like power kick. He wants to give people second chances. Although God believes in second chances, he also believes in punishment.
I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the LORD.
If you commit a crime then you must serve the time. Period. End of story. God and American law says so. No politician should be able to change that, but they so often do.
While in prison, Clemmon’s wrote an appeal to Huckabee:
“I succumbed to the peer pressure and the need I had to be accepted by other youth in my new environment and fell in with the wrong crowd and thus began a seven (7) month crime spree which led me to prison,” Clemmons wrote in his application to Huckabee.
Clemmons wrote that he came from “a very good Christian family” and “was raised much better than my actions speak (I’m still ashamed to this day for the shame my stupid involvement in these crimes brought to my family name.)”
Clemmon’s lawyer probably wrote this letter, and he knew just what to say. I think this letter touched Huckabee’s Christian heart and made him think that we all deserve another chance. But why does “changing” in prison have the power to cancel anyone’s punishment? Okay great, you changed. Have fun in prison.
“If I could’ve known nine years ago that this guy was capable of something of this nature, obviously I would’ve never granted the commutation,” Huckabee told O’Reilly. “It’s sickening.”
Yeah, it is really sickening, but he should have known. The system sentenced
Clemmon’s to a long prison term because that is where they thought he belonged. Then Huckabee got all high and mighty and allowed this psychopath to walk free. Now there is no prayer anyone can say that will bring those cops back. Lives and families have been destroyed because of his decision to give evil people second chances.
National Review Online spoke with Huckabee Presidential Campaign Manager Chip Saltsman who said:
“It is a lot easier to blame the one guy in the process you know. But it’s a complicated and convoluted system in the state of Arkansas. The five members of the parole board, several judges, the attorney general of the state, all had the opportunity to weigh in on this decision and there were no red flags.”
Clemmons received a 108 year prison sentence, and no red flags went up to anyone? Huckabee and his people want to direct the blame somewhere else or at least share it. But that is not fair because Huckabee was the governor. He was the head honcho. He was the man that people took orders from. People trusted him, and Huckabee commuted this madman’s sentence.
Responding to his critics, Huckabee said, “Politics is the last thing on my mind. It should be the last thing on anybody’s mind. To me it’s repulsive that people are trying to bring something like that up in the midst of what ought to be a concern for these officer’s families.
“The criminal justice is far from perfect and in this case it failed miserably on all sides.”
Huckabee’s pardons and response to this travesty repulse me. Huckabee didn’t trust the system that sentenced Clemmons to 108 years so he commuted his sentence. And then he trusted the same system that let him free three months later? Smells like politics to me. Huckabee tells us that politics should be the last thing on our minds. That statement itself is self-serving and political. It’s all about politics Mike. You would have never let Clemmons out if it wasn’t. Don’t try to cover your mistakes by telling us what to think. We are extremely concerned about and pray for the 4 officers’ families. And that is why many of us don’t want Mike Huckabee anywhere near a position of power.
Resources
Suspect In Cop Killings Was Out On Street Despite Lengthy Rap Sheet, Sentences
Suspect Released In Arkansas After Claiming He Had Changed
Huckabee & The Seattle Cop Killings
How The Huckabee Administration Worked To Free A Rapist
Maurice Clemmons, Man Wanted For Questioning, Has Troubling Criminal History
Governor Goes Own Way On Pardons
I am Jesus … And On The Lam, Seattle Cop Killer
Maurice Clemmons Told NY Bishop Bernard Jordan
The Story Mike Huckabee Dreads
