Huckabee Fights Against Parole Case Claims

GOP Hopeful, Former Ark. Gov. Points Figure At Predecessors Bill Clinton, Jim Guy Tucker For Rapist's Release

(CBS)  Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, who in the past few weeks has gone from long shot to leading some polls in Iowa, today fought back against charges he acted improperly in the case of Wayne DuMond, a convicted rapist who was paroled during Huckabee's time as governor of Arkansas.

In an interview today on CBS News' The Early Show, Huckabee denied wrongdoing and deflected blame for the case to his predecessors Jim Guy Tucker and Bill Clinton.

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond's sentence, making him parole eligible. What I actually did was I denied his second commutation request, denied three others. He was released because he was parole eligible. And in Arkansas law, governors can neither initiate parole, nor can they stop a parole," Huckabee told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

The mother of a woman murdered by DuMond after he was paroled spoke out against the former governor on Wednesday's Early Show.

Lois Davidson, whose daughter Carol Sue Shields was murdered said that Huckabee's involvement in the case suggests poor judgment.

"I don't think he did enough background research on Wayne DuMond's life," she said. "And if he didn't do that kind of research, I don't think he's gonna be good for the country."

Huckabee responded to the mother on Thursday.

"This is one of those tragic cases that, as you look back, your heart is broken, especially for these families. And I don't blame that mother for being angry, and don't even blame her for being angry at me because I'm the only face of this she knows," he said.

---

Read More About The Case

---

Clinton's successor, Tucker, reduced DuMond's sentence to to 39 years, making him eligible for parole. When Huckabee became governor in 1996, he said he was considering commuting DuMond's sentence to time served. After the victim and her supporters protested, Huckabee did not do so, but he reportedly wrote a letter to DuMond saying "my desire is that you be released from prison."

Soon after, Huckabee met with the parole board, which had the power to free DuMond. After the meeting, many board members reversed their votes from the previous year, and DuMond was paroled. After he was released, DuMond moved to Missouri, where he sexually assaulted and murdered Shields. He was the leading suspect in another rape and murder when he died in prison in 2005.

Smith asked Huckabee if he thought DuMond could have been innocent of the first crime and whether he should have been paroled.

"It wasn't so much as innocence, but it was the sentence and the fact that while he was awaiting trial someone broke into his home, they hog-tied him, they castrated him, they left him for dead," Huckabee said. "His two young sons came home from school, found him in a pool of blood. His testicles were placed on a jar on the sheriff's desk in the Ford City, Ark., sheriff's department. It was a horrible case from start to finish for everybody, for the victims, for him. He received a very harsh sentence, harsh enough that my predecessor, Jim Guy Tucker, in concert with Bill Clinton, who was actually governor at the time, reduced his sentence. That's what made him parole eligible."

"I considered, because it was on my desk when I became governor, a further commutation, but ended up deciding against it. So, I denied it," Huckabee added. "But it happened, his parole, while I was governor, even though by law governors can't parole anybody."

Huckabee also talked about the letter he wrote.

"The letter said that 'I support your release from prison.' That's the part that gets quoted. The part that doesn't get quoted is, 'but I deny your commutation request.' It was a letter of denial of his commutation," he said. "Even after that, when he was parole eligible, it was years later when the parole board finally decided to do it. And that parole board that originally asked me to meet with them was a parole board made up entirely of people appointed by Bill Clinton or Jim Guy Tucker."

Huckabee firmly denied putting pressure on the parole board, despite the claims of some.

"They did say that… six years after this meeting that they requested. And that was three of the seven members who is said it, all of whom I did not reappoint to their $75,000 a year jobs. Interesting that it took them six years to come forth and say it after they lost their jobs and during the middle of an election year in which my opponent in that election made clemencies the primary focus of her campaign," he said.

"It's a horrible story. You know, the real tragedy… the real tragedy is there are some families hurting and grieving, and some now are wanting to exploit them for political purposes," Huckabee added. "For American politics to be reduced to the exploitations of crime victims and to reach into their grief and try to make them the centerpiece, it's really the worst politics of all."

When challenged, Huckabee also said he was aware of other victims of DuMond who contacted his office and pleaded not to release him from prison.

"There weren't a lot of letters. There was one visit from the victim in Ford City. There was another letter from a lady in Arkansas, and that was one of the reasons that I didn't end up commuting that sentence… It was the influence of the fact that there was just doubts about him getting out without supervision. I just didn't feel comfortable with that," he said.

Huckabee concluded the interview by saying that he could not have stopped the parole.

"Legally, I could not stop his parole. Governors can't do that. They can't start it. They can't stop it," Huckabee said. "And if one understands the basic essence -- for a governor to add to a person's sentence would be double jeopardy. Separation of powers makes it so that once the case has been adjudicated, a governor can reduce a sentence, but a governor cannot add to it, and stopping a parole would be adding to a sentence."

[lamja00]

I just emailed the CBS Morning Show to hold Huckabee accountable for the dubious claims he made regarding Clinton''s alleged role in Dumond''s release, and also the DNA evidence issue. I advise all of you to do the same.

[lamja00]

"Jim Guy Tucker, in concert with Bill Clinton, who was actually governor at the time, reduced his sentence. That''s what made him parole eligible."
*******************************
Well, that''s not what I read. CBS, I''ve got a bright idea: Why don''t you get Bill Clinton on your network along with Huckabee to affirm or deny Huckabee''s claim that he had a role in Dumond''s release. I think that would be a great idea. Also, I think you guys should also discuss the DNA issue and whether Huckabee''s statements are accurate as it relates to that as well.

[denn034]

"We have only two chooses Romney or huck-a-lie"
Posted by randyisjames

Thompson it is!

[lamja00]

kansas1946 stated, [Huckabee''s words]"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond''''s sentence,
*****************************
*******************

That is a flat-out lie. The guy is a liar. Clinton had nothing to do with commuting his sentence

****************************************************

Kansas, I read that that was a lie too!!!!! Murray Waas stated that in one of his articles. Mike Hucka-please!

[denn034]

Huck-a-lie, indeed!

[randyisjames]

Huck-a-lie. We have only two chooses Romney or huck-a-lie. The problem here is that huck-a-lie is saying that he did not have anything to do with the release of a convicted rapist who latter murdered. Not true, Mrs Dumonds wife said, "The new governor, Mike Huckabee, has assured me Wayne will be a free man," He then used his political power to ensure the rapist and murders release. (http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/printthread.php?threadid=111268)
Huckabee not resposible. This is a lie, This is a lie So huckabee the minister and chief is going to be a liar and chief also. Just so everyone understands, Mike Huckabee is going around telling lies. Huckabee knows that he is behind the man being let out of prison. But chooses to lie to the American public. We have had lairs%u2019 as president. Bush, Clinton. Its time to chose an honest man. Stop supporting a liar. America we know one thing for sure and that is that huckabee is a liar. Liar, liar pants on fighter. Mike Huckabee is a liar. Mike Huckabee is a liar and also a thief. Mike Huckabbee removed $70,000-plus in furnishings sent to the Governor%u2019s Mansion that he claimed in 1998 was his property until his lawyer said it wasn%u2019t. (http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=68c98333-95ea-42e9-a9ce-a901f2a02148). Yes Mike, lie, and steel. Mike there is this things called the ten commandments. As a minister and chief you should get to know them. Mike Huckabee is a liar and a thief.

[sgtrds]

Two words. Willie Horton.

[missyx21]

Go su(k on a (ock like the rest of your right wing gay republicans.

[smirk5]

Does this mean that Chuck Norris supports letting rapists go free?

[smirk5]

Is there anything in the Bible about lying your a** off Mr. Huckabee? Is there anything in the Bible about taking responsibility for your actions Mr. Huckabee?

[kansas1946]

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond''s sentence,
************************************************

That is a flat-out lie. The guy is a liar. Clinton had nothing to do with commuting his sentence.

[kansas1946]

The guy was cleared by DNA testing. Sadly he died in jail before getting exonorated
pos sted by aeasus at 07:40 PM : Dec 06, 2007
*************************************************

No, he wasn''t. Read excerpts from the Arkansas Times below.

************
%u201CHe [Huckabee] kept insisting that there was DNA evidence that has since exonerated Dumond, when that very much wasn%u2019t the case,%u201D recalled Long. %u201CNo matter that that wasn%u2019t true %u2026 we couldn%u2019t seem to say or do anything to disabuse him of that notion.%u201D

In fact, there had never been any DNA testing in the Ashley Stevens case.

In late June 2001, Missouri authorities charged Dumond with the first-degree murder of Shields. The Clay County, Mo., prosecutor%u2019s office asserted that skin found under Shield%u2019s fingernails, the result of an apparent struggle with her murderer, contained DNA that matched Dumond%u2019s.

******************************
So there was never any DNA testing for the murder he was initially in prison for, but there was on the woman he murdered when he got out. This case was based directly on a bunch of religious freaks that were convinced this guy wasn''t guilty because the girl he raped and killed was some shirt-tail relative of Clinton''s, who they hated.
Huckabee used terrible judgement, pressured the parole board, and as a result, two more women are dead. Forget this guy for president. Not going to happen.

[leftern]

If you take the time to learn the facts of this case you will find that Mr. Huckabee knew full well exactly what he was doing when he used his influence to have Dumond released. He knew that there was a good chance that Dumond would offend again and he did use his influence sway the parole board. He''d been sent letters from past victims. It is clear that Huckabee was pandering to group on the far right that wanted Dumond released, a group that Huckabee felt would help him down the road in some way. It is also clear that he shouldn''t be our next president.

[pepperp1]

....It has exposed the dissembling reality behind the charming, articulate, more-preacher-than-politician ****** - and has called into question both his judgment and his integrity.

Huckabee''s response has been to fudge the truth, point the finger at everyone in sight, and -- that old standby -- blame...Clinton and the Press.



Upon research this event makes Huckabee eligible for cult leader of the subversives%u2019 Evangelicals political sect maybe, but electable to the Presidency of the Untied States, NEVER..


Romney please, just listened to the speech, well glad he dose not want to be discriminated against because he is a Mormon but has absolutely not problem with anyone not attending church being cast as dog fodder. And besides that he looked like a goof, you Governor are no John Kennedy%u2026.vomit.

[aeasus]

The guy was cleared by DNA testing. Sadly he died in jail before getting exonorated

[kansas1946]

The poor guy had his nuts cut out in a violent attack years before the Shields crime. He couldn''''t have sexual relations or desires.
*********************************

Not true. You need to study physiology. This is just another case of a Republican trying to blame Clinton for their bad behavior. In the year 2050 if you criticize a Republican, he/she will still be trying to blame Bill Clinton.

[aeasus]

DuMond moved to Missouri, where he sexually assaulted and murdered Shields.
The poor guy had his nuts cut out in a violent attack years before the Shields crime. He couldn''t have sexual relations or desires. He was just framed for the second time because of what he knew.

If anyone actually reads the history of this man they would demand the truth from Bill Clinton,not Huckabee.

[jerr11]

"GOP Hopeful, Former Ark. Gov. Points Figure..."


Nice!

Another pass-the-buck-it''s-not-my-fault neocon!

This Huckabee sleazeball is definitely qualified to lead the nation!

LOL

[lfitts1]

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond''s sentence, making him parole eligible. What I actually did was I denied his second commutation request, denied three others. He was released because he was parole eligible. And in Arkansas law, governors can neither initiate parole, nor can they stop a parole," Huckabee told Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.


You see it was not MY fault--my dog ate my home work and my sister wouldn''t leave me alone to study--He was wrong--own up and say you made a mistake and move on--I didn''t like him before--I disagree with most of his positions, but I was willing to grant that he SEEMED genuine--now not even that.

[kansas1946]

"It was Bill Clinton and Jim Guy Tucker who actually commuted Mr. DuMond''s sentence, making him parole eligible.
******************************
Bill Clinton had nothing to do with commuting the sentence, it was Jim Guy Tucker, so now we have a governor, Huckabee, who no only pressured the parole board to parole this guy, he is now blaming Clinton, and by doing so is lying. I think we have had enough lying in the WhiteHouse.