Monday, November 30, 2009

Maurice Clemmons suspect in Tacoma Police Ambush granted clemency by Huckabee



A deadly ambush at a coffee shop near Tacoma, Washington on Sunday morning left four police officers dead. A vigil attended by an estimated 700 mourners and well-wishers was held Sunday night for the fallen at Champion’s Center church in Tacoma. Read about the lives, loves, and dedication to service of the fallen officers here.
The man being sought by police was granted clemency by former GOP Arkansas Mike Huckabee despite his violent history and vehement protestations from prosecutors and victims’ family members.
He was most recently in jail for alleged second-degree rape of a child. 
This looks like it's Michael Dukakis time for Mike Huckabee. I wonder if Huckabee had a heads up on this story? Perhaps that is why he told Fox News Sunday yesterday that he was “less than likely to run in 2012”. Clemmons will make a Huckabee 2012 run nearly impossible, especially when you look at Clemmons record, the man should never have seen the light of day. Just read what Clemmons is accused of at the tender age of 17.

From the Seattle Times: 
News accounts out of Arkansas offer a confusing — and, at times, conflicting — description of Clemmons' criminal history and prison time.
In 1990, Clemmons, then 18, was sentenced in Arkansas to 60 years in prison for burglary and theft of property, according to a news account in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newspaper stories describe a series of disturbing incidents involving Clemmons while he was being tried in Arkansas on various charges.
During one trial, Clemmons was shackled in leg irons and seated next to a uniformed officer. The presiding judge ordered the extra security because he felt Clemmons had threatened him, court records show.
Another time, Clemmons hid a hinge in his sock, and was accused of intending to use it as a weapon. Yet another time, Clemmons took a lock from a holding cell, and threw it toward the bailiff. He missed and instead hit Clemmons' mother, who had come to bring him street clothes, according to records and published reports.
On another occasion, Clemmons had reached for a guard's pistol during transport to the courtroom.
When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he was already serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft of property and possessing a handgun on school property. Records from Clemmons' sentencing described him as 5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. The crimes were committed when he was 17.
Clemmons served 11 years before being released.
News accounts say Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing Clemmons' young age at the time the crimes were committed.
But Clemmons remained on parole — and soon after landed in trouble again. In March 2001, he was accused of violating his parole by committing aggravated robbery and theft, according to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
He was returned to prison on a parole violation. But in what appears to have been a mistake, Clemmons was not actually served with the arrest warrants until leaving prison three years later. As a result, Clemmons' attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because too much time had passed. Prosecutors dropped the charges.
It seems to me that there was much bungling going on in Arkansas. Not just will his getting clemency, but with properly recording Clemmons’ crimes and correctly identifying what a dangerous man he was.

Michelle Malkin puts the blame squarely on Huckabee. She details Huckabee’s history of granting clemency to violent criminals like Maurice Clemmons and Wayne Dumond.



5 comments:

A Conservative Unclogged Blog said...

You know, I commented yesterday about NOT favoring Huckabee....and then learning of this...just insulated why I have been uneasy concerning him...he is NOT a conservative...he is a masquerading RINO

I am saddened for the families....this should have been prevented....

Anonymous said...

geesh, this guy sounds like many of the students I tried to teach at that innercity school. Frankly, this man is another product of liberal justice. Just keep giving him a chance because, most likely argued, he's an oppressed black man. Now we're (suppose to be) all shocked because a demonic violent man. . . gasped. . . committed unprovoked violence. Given how these officers were attack simply because they were police officers, will this be classified as a hate crime? Given that he's black, I seriously doubt it.

Clifton B said...

ACUB:

I am not sure I would call Huck a full blown RINO. However, as I stated, there is something Bill Clintonish about him. A certain insincerity I pick up with him, that always leaves me uneasy.

Clifton B said...

madmath1:

Sadly our nation has become way too free wheeling with compassion. Compassion is a wonderful think, but it must also be given to worth recipients. Repeat offends do not fit the bill.

As far as the hate crimes thing goes, you know that is never, ever, ever, going to be used against minorities and the day it does, is the day the law will be removed from the books. How's that for anti 14th amendment?

Anonymous said...

Huckabee is a full-blown social conservative. This leads me to ask: how many of his fellow social conservatives will cut him slack they'd never cut Michael Dukakis regarding Willy Horton?

Cynical? You bet I am.

- The Friendly Grizzly

Related Posts with Thumbnails