Failure of the criminal justice system?

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Or Mike Huckabee playing a little CYA?

Manhunt on for suspect in cop shootings - CNN.com

I know that I'm biased against Mike Huckabee (I detest the man, frankly)--but how can he justify commuting a 108 yr sentence because the criminal was "young"??

Now, after the sentence was commuted and he was paroled,--and then violated parole, I can agree that the justice system failed by not locking him away for the rest of his life!

This makes me so sick and disgusted.

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I don't live in the same city where the shootings occured yesterday morning...but I don't live more than 45 minutes away. I am sick to my stomach to think that this evil person was locked away, then was able to walk free. How many victims have to be victims before a person is deemed "untreatable"? The criminal history of this man (I hate to call him that) is very long.

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I can't comment with a great amount of knowledge here, but my understanding was that he was a teen when he committed his crime (15? 16?) and that what Huckabee did was allow him to one day be considered for parole. It was my understanding that he didn't actually authorize his parole, or even recommend parole, but that since he was a teenager that he permitted the option to be open for him to *one day*, if the prison folks and the justice system deemed him reformed, request a parole hearing.

I guess I don't see that as entirely out of line, given that he was not an adult when he committed the crime.

The judges who not only granted him parole but then gave him bail that was at a dollar figure that was attainable for him.... they are the ones that need strung up.

I did not see this interview on Fox - I just googled for information right now and it's what came up as my first result. It's an interview between O'R and Huckabee, and gives the timeline for this creep's incarcerations, releases, etc. The crime for which Huckabee allowed him to ever be considered for a parole application happened 20 years ago, and Huckabee was given a 5-0 recommendation by the panel from the justice system that gives their opinions on specific criminals to allow him to become eligible for parole.

I'm not excusing Huckabee, but it does seem that when you're governor and have to go through 1,200 of these cases a year, when there is a 5-0 recommendation you probably tend to go with that.

Regardless... it's a horrible, horrible tragedy.

Mike Huckabee on Commuting Sentence of Now-Suspected Cop Killer - Bill O'Reilly | The O'Reilly Factor - FOXNews.com

Wow---
I am admittedly anti-Huckabee. I've never, ever liked him--so, I'm sure that I'm looking at it through jaded eyes.

I think the justice system broke down early on with this animal. He was given a second chance w/ Huckabee commuting his sentence--he was released on parole/probation in 2001 and violated the terms in 2004. At that point, I think the commuted sentence should have been re-instated.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

You're correct in that Huckabee did commute his sentence, something I assume only a governor can do, and it sounds like that year there were 1,200 requests for commutation (is that the right term?) that he personally had to address. I can't imagine that a governor could know all he/she needs to know to make that decision without input from those closest to the case. If that was the ONLY thing a governor did, if he did it seven days a week year-round from 8-5 every day, he would have a total of 2 1/2 hours to become familiar with every case. And that is if this was the governor's ONLY job.

So... I really can't put this at Huckabee's feet at all. The recommendation he was given was unanimous, and his commutation didn't assure that the thug would even be considered for parole - only that he could request to be considered. It was the justice system that went on not only to choose to consider it, but then to grant it, and then let him fall through the cracks multiple times. Of all those who touched his case along the way, it sounds like Huckabee's knowledge of this man was farther removed than any of the judges who should have had in-depth knowledge that prevented them from being so generous with him.

I don't think you can blame Huckabee solely for this. He is just one spoke in the wheel. It's the whole system that needs an overhaul. I would assume the governor would have the least amount of first hand knowledge and has to rely on the recommendations of many other people/organizations, etc...To solely blame him seems rather ignorant.