Free Republic

U.S. Park Police Chief Dwight E. Pettiford yesterday was relieved of his duties while a panel of federal officials convenes to resolve problems within the agency that were identified last month in an inspector general's report, officials said. Chief Pettiford, who has run the department since March 2005, will retain his position but will be removed from duty while the group formulates a response to the report over the next two months, National Park Service spokesman David Barna said. Mr. Barna said Chief Pettiford was removed to allow him to concentrate on the work of the panel. But a report...

Editor's note, Sept. 1, 2005: Wayne Dumond, convicted of rape in Arkansas and murder in Missouri, died of apparent natural causes in prison Tuesday. The occasion prompts us to republish Murray Waas' prize-winning article for the Arkansas Times in 2002 about the extraordinary steps Gov. Mike Huckabee took to help win Dumond's freedom. He has since blamed others for Dumond's release to kill again, but his actions over many years demonstrated his support for Dumond and, ultimately, the instrumental role he played in the parole board's decision to free him. Special handling How the Huckabee administration worked to free rapist...