Posted on 12/18/2009 8:40:50 AM PST by ellery
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Until 2008, Barbour had been stingy with the pardon. In 2006, I wrote a story for Reason magazine about Cory Maye, a black man in Jefferson Davis County, Miss., convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for shooting and killing a white cop during a botched drug raid. My reporting spawned an outpouring of support for Maye, including from gun rights and home defense advocates on the right, who were outraged over a death sentence for a man who by all appearances thought he was defending his home from apparent intruders.
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Over the last two years, as reported by the Jackson Free Press, Barbour has pardoned, granted clemency to, or suspended the sentences of at least five convicted murderers, four of whom killed their wives or girlfriends. Those four are:
* Bobby Hays Clark, who in 1996 shot his ex-girlfriend in the neck and beat her boyfriend with a broom handle. Clark, who had a previous aggravated assault conviction, was sentenced to 38 years. Barbour pardoned him last year without notifying the family of Clark's victim.
* Michael David Graham, who in 1989 shot his ex-wife point-blank with a shotgun while she waited at a traffic light. Barbour suspended Graham's life sentence, and he was released.
* Clarence Jones, who stabbed his ex-girlfriend 22 times in 1992. She had previously filed multiple assault and trespassing charges against him. He was sentenced to life in prison. Barbour pardoned him last year.
* Paul Joseph Warnock, who in 1989 shot his girlfriend in the back of the head as she slept. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1993. Barbour pardoned him last year.
Barbour also pardoned William James Kimble, convicted and sentenced to life for robbing and murdering an elderly man in 1991.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
This is a must-excerpt.
The Left is taking off after every potential GOP candidate for 2012.
Sounds like Haley has covered his ass.
Yep, the Left has found a new weapon and is running with it. They were halfhearted about using it on Huck, as he had potential to be their next loser Republican presidential candidate for 2012, but they’re going to see what mileage they can get out of it on genuinely conservative, politically viable republican prospects.
Of course, two can play at that game.
ping.
Haley Barbor the creator of the GOP “Big Tent”. He is a RINO Squish!
Surprisingly, former California guv Gray Davis was a total hardass regarding pardons and commutations.
I heard Huckabee on Dennis Miller yesterday, and he made a fairly decent “defense” (he wouldn’t call it that) of his decision.
But, he admitted that any decision could come back to haunt you.
Agree, Huckabee (like the animals he pardoned) has gotten off way too lightly...so far.
Barbour is now toast as well. Pardoning all these brutal murderers, after relatively short times spent in jail is bizarre. It is even stranger, when you consider that Barber had never pardoned anyone before 2008.
I wonder if these fellows witnessed something while working at the governor’s mansion?
He also deposed the Democrat congress in 1994 and seriously mitigated what could've happened in the Clinton years.
If that's a RINO squish, we could sure use more of them now.
How has Haley covered himself? He pardoned 5 murderers, 4 of whom murdered their wives or girlfriends, and all of whom worked at the governor’s mansion.
The left should not need to go after Republican governors who hand out get out of jail free cards to violent criminals. WE should be cleaning our own house.
You got proof?
Barbor=Bob Dole=Epic Fail
I think some politicians are completely risk-averse, and as such won’t pardon/give clemency to even people who deserve it because of injustice. Could Davis be one of those types?
But others go the other way and pardon correctly convicted violent criminals.
In both cases, it amounts to seriously poor judgement—and we need to hold both donk and republican governors accountable.
I know, you're right. It SO MUCH better when the GOP is completely out of power, in the House, in the Senate (where the Dems enjoy a super majority) and in the White House.
Barbour was such an idiot to craft and execute a strategy that helped put a Republican in the White House and gave the GOP control of both Houses of Congress. What a moron that guy is. Everyone knows that the real power in Washington is only realized when you're part of the disenfranchised minority without a seat at the table.
Ronald Reagan is the creator of the GOP “Big Tent”.
You are right about Barbour and he is basically a good conservative so some of these pardons don’t make sense. He was one of the masterminds of the 1994 victory so he deserves credit for that, along with Gingrich and others.
I don’t know that he was a serious contender for 2012 but if he wants to go for it I think this story complicates his run.
Is Tom Foley still the House Speaker?
What is Haley doing? What are his reasons?
He must be friends with Dukakis.
I don’t think the pardons will hurt Haley. After all, the Huckster is unaffected by his pardons.
His "38-year" sentence, was in practice an 18-year sentence, because one of the two convictions was given a 20-year SUSPENDED sentence, meaning he didn't have to serve it.
According to a news article, he was released on probation in 2008, before Barbour pardoned him. So the pardon wiped his record clean, but didn't let him out of prison.
Babour gives relief to 4 domestic killers:
Clark pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, plus aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in October 1996. He received a sentence of 18 years on the manslaughter charge and 20 years suspended on the aggravated assault charge. He was released on probation in April 2008.I don't know why he pardoned him, or if the man deserved to have his record cleared (sometimes this is necessary to get certain jobs, or so they can vote again).
I don't know of the other pardons are similar.
I will want to see a statement from Haley about this before I pass judgment. I don't justify it now, but I'm interested in hearing why he did this.
“Haley Barbor the creator of the GOP “Big Tent”. He is a RINO Squish!”
Bears repeating until some around here get the hint.
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