Not me. Clemmons did not just make one mistake as a kid. He went on a crime spree and was convicted of six felonies.
From the Seattle Times...
Huckabee abused his power.
Mike Huckabee's Presidential ambitions come to an unexpected halt
- Thread starter Beefy
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Not me. Clemmons did not just make one mistake as a kid. He went on a crime spree and was convicted of six felonies.
From the Seattle Times...
Huckabee abused his power.
Cancel 2018. 3
<-- sched 2, MJ sched 1
by reducing a 90+ year sentence to a 40+ year sentence? not even close
The power exists to right injustice. It should not be used on a whim. There is a separation of powers for a reason and Huckabee interfered in the criminal justice system, subverting the will of the people, numerous times (twice as many times as his 3 predecessors combined). Also, he appears to have been extremely biased by conversion stories.
He abused the power.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316312,00.html
"It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, (Huckabee) seems likely to grant clemency," prosecutor Robert Herzfeld said in 2004 after successfully battling the then-governor over the release of a killer.
Whitewater figure David Hale, a government witness in the trial that forced Gov. Jim Guy Tucker's resignation and let Huckabee ascend to the office, was pardoned after being sentenced to 21 days in a state insurance case. Huckabee complained it would cost too much to hold him. The price tag: $1,200.
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards received a gubernatorial pardon for a 1975 traffic offense. Huckabee prepared the paperwork to clear the rock star's good name after he met him at a North Little Rock concert.
During his years as governor, Huckabee granted clemency an average of about once every four days. Huckabee's successor, Mike Beebe, has issued 40 so far this year, fewer than one a week. Bill Clinton, Frank White and Tucker granted 507 clemencies in the 17 1/2 years they served as governor.
...
Prosecutors say Huckabee was more inclined to release or reduce the sentences of prisoners if he had direct contact with them or was lobbied by those close to him.
Some inmates who benefited from some sort of personal connection:
—James Maxwell, who killed a pastor of the Church of God in Arkansas. Maxwell worked at the Governor's Mansion when Huckabee announced his intent to reduce his prison sentence.
—Samuel W. Taylor, convicted on a drug charge. A prosecutor said the man had told him Taylor's sister had gone to school with Huckabee. Huckabee said the sister didn't influence the decision. Taylor subsequently was arrested on another drug charge.
—Donald W. Clark, convicted of theft. Huckabee's pastor recommended leniency for Clark, whose stepmother worked on Huckabee's gubernatorial staff.
—Robert A. Arnold Jr., who was convicted of killing his father-in-law. Arnold's father, a former mayor of Hope, Huckabee's hometown, said he was a casual friend of the governor.
—A pastor who promoted Huckabee among blacks urged the governor to grant clemency to John Henry Claiborne, who was sentenced to 100 years for a 1994 armed robbery, according to a 2004 report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Huckabee made Claiborne eligible for parole after receiving a letter from the Rev. Charles Williams, who told the newspaper he had helped win "many, many" clemencies from Huckabee.
—Denver Witham, convicted of beating a man to death with a lead pipe at bar, had his sentence commuted by Huckabee. The action drew the ire of prosecutors who speculated that Huckabee's act of clemency was related to Witham, who was lead singer in a prison band, being a fellow musician.
"It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, (Huckabee) seems likely to grant clemency," prosecutor Robert Herzfeld said in 2004 after successfully battling the then-governor over the release of a killer.
Whitewater figure David Hale, a government witness in the trial that forced Gov. Jim Guy Tucker's resignation and let Huckabee ascend to the office, was pardoned after being sentenced to 21 days in a state insurance case. Huckabee complained it would cost too much to hold him. The price tag: $1,200.
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards received a gubernatorial pardon for a 1975 traffic offense. Huckabee prepared the paperwork to clear the rock star's good name after he met him at a North Little Rock concert.
During his years as governor, Huckabee granted clemency an average of about once every four days. Huckabee's successor, Mike Beebe, has issued 40 so far this year, fewer than one a week. Bill Clinton, Frank White and Tucker granted 507 clemencies in the 17 1/2 years they served as governor.
...
Prosecutors say Huckabee was more inclined to release or reduce the sentences of prisoners if he had direct contact with them or was lobbied by those close to him.
Some inmates who benefited from some sort of personal connection:
—James Maxwell, who killed a pastor of the Church of God in Arkansas. Maxwell worked at the Governor's Mansion when Huckabee announced his intent to reduce his prison sentence.
—Samuel W. Taylor, convicted on a drug charge. A prosecutor said the man had told him Taylor's sister had gone to school with Huckabee. Huckabee said the sister didn't influence the decision. Taylor subsequently was arrested on another drug charge.
—Donald W. Clark, convicted of theft. Huckabee's pastor recommended leniency for Clark, whose stepmother worked on Huckabee's gubernatorial staff.
—Robert A. Arnold Jr., who was convicted of killing his father-in-law. Arnold's father, a former mayor of Hope, Huckabee's hometown, said he was a casual friend of the governor.
—A pastor who promoted Huckabee among blacks urged the governor to grant clemency to John Henry Claiborne, who was sentenced to 100 years for a 1994 armed robbery, according to a 2004 report in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Huckabee made Claiborne eligible for parole after receiving a letter from the Rev. Charles Williams, who told the newspaper he had helped win "many, many" clemencies from Huckabee.
—Denver Witham, convicted of beating a man to death with a lead pipe at bar, had his sentence commuted by Huckabee. The action drew the ire of prosecutors who speculated that Huckabee's act of clemency was related to Witham, who was lead singer in a prison band, being a fellow musician.
Cancel 2018. 3
<-- sched 2, MJ sched 1
huh? as governor huckabee has the power to pardon or commute a sentence....there is no interference and no subverting the will of the people....if the people don't want him to have that power, don't vote for him or amend the laws to deny him that power
It's interference in the domain of the courts. The will of the people was expressed by the jury. Huckabee presumed to know better than the judge and jury in these cases.
There is nothing wrong with the power of clemency. It is sometimes necessary and used prudently, can correct grievous errors. There is something wrong when it is abused by a jackass who met a rock star.
Cancel 2018. 3
<-- sched 2, MJ sched 1
not true. how can the governor have the power to commute or pardon and yet you say it is interference....obviously the people do not have a problem with that power as it has not been repealed or amended....it can't be interference as it is part of the judicial system...federally the power resides in the US constitution and i have a hunch that governor power to pardon or reprieve exists in state constitutions and is modeled after the constitution of the united states of america....
he didn't abuse it here, he lowered an excessive sentence....
You are basically arguing that because the executive has the power it can not be abused. Quite absurd.
It is interference or a check on the judicial system. Sometimes interference is necessary. It's a wise check. But not when you abuse it as Huckabee did numerous times.
As far as I know, Clemmons received a fair trial. There was no good reason for Huckabee to subvert the will of the people. His sentence was not excessive and on numerous occasions he showed an intent to kill corrections officers and possibly officers of the court.
Cancel 2018. 3
<-- sched 2, MJ sched 1
again, not true...i never made the argument that just because the power exists it cannot be abused, i specifically explained that it wasn't an abuse here given his age and the excessive sentence.....
huckabee, obviously felt this sentence was excessive and he exercised his constitutional (unless statutory) power to commute or lessen the sentence from 90+ years to 40+ years....therefore, he could have remained in prison over 40 years, but, the parole board released him early, not the governor....
you may not agree with huckabee's decision, but it is absolutely untrue that it was an abuse of power, he has the power and the judgement call, he lawfully exercised it...that is not an abuse....
courts reduce judgments or sentences all the time in our system, both civil and criminal....it is a check against run away jury awards or run away sentencing....if you don't like it, change it
The proof of his abuse of power is clear when you look past this one tree and see the forest. He used the power excessively and for trivial reasons. Something like this was inevitable.
Further, he did not always use it legally. He failed to give his reasons on numerous occasions, which is a requirement of the Arkansas constitution.
Further, he did not always use it legally. He failed to give his reasons on numerous occasions, which is a requirement of the Arkansas constitution.
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
RS, throughout all of US history it has been the norm of governer's too often use their clemency power based soley on compassion grounds. It is only within the past 30 years that governor's have completely stopped giving out practically any commutations at all. Huckabee's three predecessors 1) probably didn't serve as many terms as he did and 2) probably gave out far far fewer commutations than their predecessors.
I see no reason the modern phenomena of a compassionless society and compassionless government need to be extended throughout all of US history.
He was 17. IMHO, it needs to be written into law that 17 year old who haven't committed murder need to be given review of their sentence within 15 years. No other nation on the face of the Earth gives 90 year sentences to 17 year olds - Saudi Arabia and China stand aghast at the conduct of America.
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
I find fault with Huckabee's commutation that occurred merely on the advice of a pastor. Not with this one, which had a rational basis. Huckabee's commutation was not the part of the system that screwed up.
zappasguitar
Well-known member
You think just because those are the facts, that will stop some opponents attack machine from creating numerous connections between Huckster and the killer?
SmarterthanYou
rebel
The power to grant clemency is constitutionally prescribed to the governers of states specifically to overrule the will of an angry and kneejerk reaction of the people. It should be used sparingly, but when necessary to limit the damage 12 angry/stupid/ignorant people on a jury can do.
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zappasguitar
Well-known member
But while that is nice and all, you've still got to admit that if the Huckster ever did try and run he'd be cut to pieces by an ultra-conservative opponent trying to prove he's tougher on crime than Huckabee ever was.
evince
Truthmatters
I forgive you for being incapable of understanding what the issue is here.
The whole thread is about the right not voting for him after this.
It will be used against him by Dem and R alike in a campaign.
He is toast.
I never said anywhere that I thought he did a bad thing.
Saying I forgive him was merely a quick way of saying that.
You wait and see what happened to his cache wtih the right after this one.
He doesn't and if he were running for president it shouldn't have any bearing. He explained in full detail last night on Fox News. It was recommended all the way down the line from the original prosecuting judge to the parole board and it was for a crime he committed at age 16 according to what was reported last night. As Governor of Arkansas he got 1200 requests per year and this one was unusual in that it was a unanimous vote to commute his sentence by all interested parties.
Of course not, and here you are Fat Boy doing just that.
Color me surprised, "Pinky".