Failures within the system
Published 4:56 pm Tuesday, December 1, 2009
How could it happen here?
As the initial numbness turns to anger, then to frustration, over the wanton, cold-blooded killing of four Lakewood police officers in a Pierce County coffee shop Sunday morning, our region faces that perplexing question.
How could it happen here — and just four weeks after the similarly brazen slaying of a Seattle police officer as he and his partner sat in their patrol car? Is our society coming completely unglued?
Considering the chilling circumstances, they’re fair questions. Others are, too.
Such as: How is it that Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old suspect in the Pierce County killings, was continually released from custody despite ample evidence that he was dangerous and prone to violence? Whether or not he’s guilty of Sunday’s horrific crime, it’s an important question that demands a thorough answer.
We all understand that our criminal justice system is imperfect, like any human endeavor. Goals are sometimes at odds — the certainty of punishment vs. the hope of rehabilitation, for example. Although fairness and justice to all is always the goal, the system will sometimes fall short.
But the case of Maurice Clemmons, who had a lengthy prison sentence commuted by Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee nine years ago — despite the protests of prosecutors — exposes flaws that can’t be dismissed.
At first glance, it’s apparent that whatever standard Huckabee and the Arkansas Parole Board used in judging Clemmons’ fitness for clemency, it was far too forgiving. This is a guy whose 60-year sentence for burglary and theft reportedly followed five other felony convictions. He ended up serving just 11 years when Huckabee let him go, citing his relatively young age (17) when he committed the initial crimes. Clemmons’ assurances that he had become a new man apparently were convincing enough to some, including a governor who would later run for the presidency.
Clemmons had been jailed for the past few months in Pierce County, where he reportedly faced eight felony charges, including one for child rape. That one could have carried a life sentence. But after posting bail, for which he reportedly only put up $15,000 of his own money, Clemmons was back on the street.
By poor design or poor judgment, or both, the system failed. Repeatedly.
A civilized society doesn’t stand for wanton, cold-blooded violence. A civilized society does what it can to rehabilitate violent criminals, but it also must understand, very clearly, the limits of such efforts. Good intentions are no excuse for naivete.
No society can offer fool-proof protection from violent crime. But we can, we must, do better than this.
