BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In
the "Factor Investigation" segment tonight: Washington state authorities say
37-year-old Maurice Clemmons walked into a cafe and shot four police officers
dead on Sunday. The man had been charged with assaulting a police officer in
May. In July, he was charged with raping and molesting a 12-year-old female
girl, a relative. But just a week ago this guy was released on $15,000 bail, an
incredibly low number for the kind of crimes he is accused of.
All together, he had a total of eight felony charges pending
against him. But Judge John McCarthy set the bail and Judge Thomas Finagle
signed off on the bail and let him out. We contacted the judges, but they did
not return our phone calls, which is not very smart. They will be held
accountable.
In addition, Clemmons was incarcerated in Arkansas for
burglary and theft, sentenced to 60 years. But then-Governor Mike Huckabee
commuted the criminal sentence in the year 2000. Mr. Huckabee, now a FOX News
analyst, joins from us Little Rock.
Thanks for being a stand-up guy, governor. A lot of people
want an explanation. This is a bad hombre, and you let him out. Why?
MIKE HUCKABEE, FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: Well,
Bill, first of all, I think the tragedy of this — if I could have known nine
years ago this guy was capable of something of this magnitude, obviously, I
would never have granted a commutation. It's sickening. The two people in this
country that I value the most are soldiers and police officers, because they're
the only thing standing between our freedom and total anarchy. And in the case
of this particular individual, he was sentenced to 108 years for two crimes when
he was 16. The post-prison transfer board, the process, and I'll be very brief
about this, but to understand they recommended to me as governor for his
commutation, which didn't release him, it simply cut his sentence to 47 years.
That would give him parole eligibility. That was the commutation. I'm
responsible for that, and it's not something I'm happy about at this particular
moment, in light of that.
O'REILLY: OK, but it was a bad guy
in prison, and the prosecutors told you, so they say, "Hey, this is a hard-core
guy. This isn't some kid who went wrong."
HUCKABEE: We didn't have any
information from the prosecutors. We sent notices, which is the practice in
Arkansas, to five different people: the attorney general, secretary of state,
the prosecutor, the judge, and law enforcement. The only official that we have
record of getting notification from is the judge who agreed with the
recommendation of the parole board. So that's what we acted upon, what I acted
upon. I'm responsible for that. And, you know, my heart is broken for four
families tonight.
O'REILLY: Well, it's not your fault,
governor. I mean, look, you've got 1,200 of these cases a year. You've got to
look at them. I'm not saying it's your fault. I don't think anybody watching
thinks it's your fault. But the judges in Washington state, come on. I mean,
this guy moves from your state, Arkansas, to Washington state, and then he racks
up eight felony charges. Eight felonies, including the rape of a 12-year-old