Tacoma Cop Killer of 4 was given clemency by Huckabee

You're right it was very bad judgement on his part, or at least the review panel that presented Clemon's case to him. I will agree with him too that it is reckless to allow compassion to overrule other issues.

Still in a time where we often see vindictiveness and paranoia trumpted as being wisdom, ie three strikes laws and such, I think it is good that there are leaders who still believe in compassion. I don't know what information Huckabee had when he made that decision so I can't say for sure that he could've known there was a likelyhood for Clemon's to reoffend but in hindsight yes it was bad judgement. That said a politician who actually believes in compassion gives me hope for humanity.

Then again Mother Theresa would probably make a very bad governor.

 

In this country we need to find a path and stick with it.

Is prison about Punishment? Rehabilitation?
Which of these 'protects' society better.

What is the PATH to rehibilitation?
Releasing someone from prison with no more marketable skills than when they went in there is . . IMO . . .stupid.
All prisons do now is:
1. Make criminals better criminals
2. limits their ability to earn POST-PRISON . .. therefore de facto forcing them back to crime

That said. If we have deemed some UNREBILITATABLE . . .we need to find something to do with them. Since releasing them back to society is not an option . . . we need to figure out something for them.

Rocket River

 

I would love to hear your story how the Universe came to be. TIA. Keep it simple, I doubt I am quite the astrophysicist you are.

 

I don't know what makes you think Huckabee's policy on clemency was reckless. How much do you actually know about the process he had used? Couldn't it be that the process was good, and it just didn't work out in this case?

I think there is something true about Huckabee's statement about the failures of the states to re-incarcerate Clemmons. By the time of these murders, it's obvious he was a very bad seed and needed to be in prison -- and that the states had opportunities to put him there that were not maximized. Still, his blame-shifting was pathetic to read too. I'd rather he could just say Sorry than try to cover his ass.

 

He didn't murder anyone at this point. Huckabee didn't do anything that was out of line. There is a long list of other people that can be placed to blame before him.

 

starting with the killer

 

Yeah, that was helpful and relevant.

Huckabee never had a chance to be president... this keeps him from thinking he should take a bunch of people's money and waste it trying, all the while knowing he's merely affecting the positions of the other candidates. Nothing more.

 

ok, now you're just being overly biased :grin:

 

Pure Luck

Rocket River
honestly it takes more blind faith to think something came into being randomly and through pure luck . . than thinking someone one built it

The TV just luckily came together for me. . .

 

I believe in the Big Bang, but I agree with your statement wholeheartedly.

 

Here are the facts straight from Huckabee's radio interview with Hannity:

When Clemmons was 16 not 17 like most have been reported, he committed 2 felonius crimes, the first one was burglary( the owner was not home at that time), the second was robbery with another accomplice(both were unarmed), they accosted a female and took $16 from her. For both of these crimes Clemons got a sentence of 108 years.

He served 11 years of that sentence and then governor Huckabee commuted that sentence to 47 years, Huckabee never pardoned Clemmons, there's a process you must go through with the Arkansas judicial system before you can pardon anybody.

When Clemmons later applied for parole, the parole board voted 5-0 unanimously
for Clemons and thus Clemons was set free.

A series of crimes that were committed by Clemons later and due to the incompetent of the prosecutor in Arkansas(the prosecutor failed to file charges against Clemmons in a timely manner). There are also 2 judges, 1 in Arkansas and the other one in Washinton state that let Clemmons go free, these two never gave proper explanations why they did that.

Huckabee said that if all the facts were given today about Clemmons, he would have done the same thing again.

I'm the first guy who would never get soft on crimes, but something is truly wack with our justice system, 108 years for those 2 crimes is completely out of line, any reasonable person can see that.

 

could it be argued that the harsh sentences at the younger age helped make him the killer he became?

 

There's really not enough information in the public sphere to make that argument. There has been suggestions he had a mental disorder -- a harsh sentence probably didn't give him that.