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| | Huckabee says redemption a factor in clemency decisions
Thursday, Jul 22, 2004 By David Robinson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday that his religious background and belief in redemption played a key role in the high number of state prisoners he has pardoned or turned loose early. "I would not deny that my sense of the reality of redemption is a factor," the former Baptist pastor said in a radio interview with KUAR in Little Rock. "And I don't know that I can apologize for that because I would hate to think of the kind of human I would be if I thought people were beyond forgiveness and beyond reformation and beyond some sense of improvement." The governor has been criticized publicly by prosecutors in Pulaski and Saline counties for his release of violent criminals. Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley last week asked the governor to stop issuing clemencies until the Legislature can consider possible changes in the constitution, which gives the governor that power. Jegley said he would like to see the constitutional provision changed to require the governor to explain his reasons for granting a clemency. "Let's face it, I give a reason every time I do one of these, but it may not be as extensive as a publicity-seeking prosecutor is going to want," Huckabee said. "How much information do they give when they plea bargain?" Jegley said Huckabee's comments are nonanswers to the questions posed about his rationale for several clemencies granted to violent offenders. The prosecutor said Huckabee falls far short of stating his reasonings and he bristled at the suggestion that he is not accountable for the plea bargains he agrees to. "I or my deputy sit down face to face with victims," Jegley said. "And we answer every question they have and we explain all the possibilities and go through every facet face to face. You can talk in generalities like that all you want, but I can talk specifically to it because I have looked into their eyes, and I've listened to them and I've heard them cry." Huckabee also suggested it would be too costly to provide the kind of accounting for his clemency decisions the prosecutors want. "If we're willing to provide the incredible level of staffing and pay millions of dollars, that's money coming away from education and Medicaid and other things," Huckabee said. "If that's the highest priority we have, it can be done but that would be an extremely expensive process both in staffing as well as in time to enter that data." Huckabee two weeks ago issued proclamations granting clemency for Denver Witham, who is serving life in prison for a 1974 murder in Saline County, and for John H. Claiborne, who is serving 375 years in prison for a 1994 kidnapping and armed robbery conviction in Pulaski County. Both men are still in state custody and are waiting parole hearings before the state Post Prison Transfer Board. A board spokeswoman said those hearings probably would be in August. Jegley said last week that he decided to write Huckabee after talking to the son of the victims who were kidnapped and robbed by Claiborne. The son said his mother is still alive and is "scared to death" that Claiborne may be released soon, Jegley said. Based on information from the secretary of state's office, Jegley said Huckabee has granted 669 clemencies since he became governor in 1996. The previous three governors, Bill Clinton, Frank White and Jim Guy Tucker, granted a total of 507 clemencies during their 18 years in office, he said. Huckabee said he may have granted more clemencies, but he said the prison population is now three times greater than when Clinton was governor. He also said people can't get jobs without pardons because background checks prevent them from doing so. For example, he said a person with a hot check violation is prevented from being a nursing assistant. |
