Huckabee's Nightmare

[Ferd]

This is the important part. I dont think it matters. I still say his national political asperations are now over...


Maurice Clemmons was 16 years old when he was charged with burglary and robbery. He was sentenced to a total of 108 years based on the way in which the sentences were stacked. For the crimes he committed and the age at which he committed the crimes, it was dramatically outside the norm for sentencing. The PPTB recommended in 2000 by a 5-0 vote for his sentence to be commuted.

[Ferd]

As for the Willie Horton comparisions.


Horton was 23, and was convicted of first degree murder.

[tstew]

Originally Posted by Ferd

As for the Willie Horton comparisions.


Horton was 23, and was convicted of first degree murder.

f I'm not mistaken, another difference is that I don't think Dukakis was involved with Horton personally. I think he was just responsible for supporting the weekend pass program. The GOP was successful in linking him to Horton personally, but I'm not sure he was involved in his specific release. Either way, putting a man like Horton in that sort of program is stupid and reckless. The bigger issue is that eventually those guys tend to eventually get completely released anyway.

[Ferd]

Originally Posted by tstew

f I'm not mistaken, another difference is that I don't think Dukakis was involved with Horton personally. I think he was just responsible for supporting the weekend pass program. The GOP was successful in linking him to Horton personally, but I'm not sure he was involved in his specific release. Either way, putting a man like Horton in that sort of program is stupid and reckless. The bigger issue is that eventually those guys tend to eventually get completely released anyway.

he was linked but not directly.

Mass. passed the law that gave furloughs to prisoners in an effort to rehab them.

Then a court in Mass. said that murderers serving life sentances had to be given the same passes.

the Mass. Legislature, quickly passed a law blocking murderers from getting the weekend passes....

in steps Dukasis... he vetoed the bill. Thus Willie walked out of jail for the weekend and never came back. A year later in Maryland he rapes some lady.

So, you can say that Dukasis wasnt directly involved but you can also say that it was his fault....

how wierd is it that with Huck and this thing, he is directly involved but you could argue that this isnt his fault?

Sometimes like is stranger than fiction...


I would also point out that Huck is linked to more than just this case were someone he commuted has killed. There is at least 1 other incident. dont have links and im working from memory.

[Monterrey]

I just heard Huckabee on Hannity, he had some valid points.

He pointed out today that....

1- He only commuted the sentence from 109 years to 47.
2- He did not parole him, that was the parole board.
3- Since then the man had been arrested over and over, that he had managed to escape extradition to Ark, and had just been arrested 6 days previously and managed to get out on bail. Any of those arrests could have stopped the villain if the system was working.
4- Huck said, if I had to do it over and had the same papers on his desk without the ability to see the future, he would do the same thing.

Interesting

He sounds like he is getting thrown under the bus....

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Monterrey

Interesting

He sounds like he is getting thrown under the bus....

That's what I am NOT looking forward to happening to him.

I have been a fan of Huckabee politically speaking for just about as long as I've known about him.

The decision he made of commuting a 16yr old boy's 108 year sentence was an effort of utilizing common sense in sentencing guidelines.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by tstew

I agree. My point, though, is that at some point I think incarcerating all drug users is impractical. The problem is compounded by mandatory sentencing guidelines. I personally know people who are spending more time in prison for possessing drugs than people who routinely rob and assault people. There are people spending more time in jail for drug charges than murderers, rapists...and even this scumbag who ended up killing the officers.

That doesn't make sense!

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

They need to take lessons from China and maybe we'd have less crime because they wouldn't want to be in prison. It's a step up for many of them to have bed and three meals.

I don't think it is right that they have workout equipment that allows them to buff up and when they get out they are bigger and stronger. Folks outside have to PAY for this privledge.