Democrat Gov Mike Beebe of Arkansas will pardon is own son on his way out the door. His son has an 11-year old felony marijuana conviction, with intent to deliver. Nothing like using one's political power to help out a family member on your way out the door, right? LITTLE ROCK, ARK. Outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said Wednesday he plans to pardon his son's felony marijuana conviction, arguing he deserves the same second chance as hundreds of other nonviolent offenders. Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said the two-term Democratic governor would pardon Kyle Beebe, 34, who was convicted in 2003 of felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver. DeCample said the governor planned to formally announce his intent to pardon his son in early December. Beebe is leaving office in January due to term limits, and is being succeeded by Republican Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson. DeCample said Beebe has issued more than 700 pardons since taking office in 2007. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article3862533.html#storylink=cpy
Its not what you know, its who you know. Being a democrat governor, I'm surprised he went to jail in the first place.
It isn't as egregious as the Clinton pardoning of terrorists and Marc Rich and the pardon is a perfectly legal and legitimate use of the powers given to the governor. Yes, it is sleezy, but the people of Arkansas elected this guy and they should have known something about his character. So it isn't that big of an offense, in my opinion and it does give us all an opportunity to reflect on how morally unfit Bill Clinton was for political office.
The article states he was the Attorney General at the time. 11 years is a long time for a first time marijuana offense. I think the intent to deliver rather than distribute means he was just transporting the marijuana with no intentions of selling it. All inmates with marijuana convictions should have their cases reviewed in light of the changes to marijuana laws that is taking place. In January if Congress doesn't act on the marijuana bill that was submitted recently marijuana for medical and entertainment use will become legal under federal law. This is different than past marijuana bills where congress was required to act on the bill to make marijuana legal. No action is required under this bill to legalize marijuana.
You guys understand that this kid, Kyle, served his probation a long time ago? You also understand that the Arkansas Parole Board recommended in October that the parole be granted? The father is merely following their recommendation. But why let facts get in the way of a good rant, eh? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/12/mike-beebe-son-pardon_n_6149334.html
No, you're wrong. The parole board recommended a pardon, not a parole. Read your links. They could have handled the parole themselves, but they didn't. The pardon will mean he can own guns again.... parole wouldn't. You're making up what was said, then ending with that silly "facts in the way of a good rant" irony. But yes... the father is only doing this because the parole board recommended it. Father of the year there, if that's what it took. I'd have done it without the pressure, all on my own... years earlier. Well... after my last election win.
Gun enthusiasts should be praising this move. God forbid his right to protect himself be hindered by a victimless crime committed over a decade ago. He may save someone elses life via the right to bear arms, no?
And these are the people that are against background checks for gun ownership, but they want to punish someone for an eleven year old marijuana conviction.
There is a lot of debate about pardoning presidents and in my opinion it is a necessity. Presidents often have to make judgment calls that could very well land them in prison if they were open to the laws and they often do this out of national security concerns. Do they always make the right call, of course not but starting to hold them accountable will lead to an even worse situation. Currently it is assumed that any outgoing president will automatically be pardoned, regardless of the crime, by the incoming president and that is necessary. This is because we do not want a president who is gun shy or afraid to make that tough call because of what may happen to them. What we will end up with is a string of presidents who's number one concern is protecting their own ass, not the safety of the nation. The reason that Nixon should have been pardoned is that we do not want incoming presidents deciding the pardon on a case by case basis because then politics come into play and a pardon may be withheld simply to make a side look bad. This will have the same effect as I posted above, presidents afraid to act. Instead we need to simply have a blanket pardon like we do now, regardless of the crime. If there comes a time when it is obvious that presidents are abusing their power we could revisit the issue but its not a common thing for presidents to commit outright crimes so there is no reason to take that risk v. reward move yet. And Nixon had nothing to do with the actual Watergate scandal other than covering it up after the fact. Its not like he was raping 12 yr. olds in the Oval Office, it did not affect anything politically since he dominated that election in the first place, it was overall, not a very serious offense in terms of repercussions. There are presidents who have told far greater lies than that (mostly democrats) and walked away also.
Every Governor and President does the same thing when they leave office, being selective in your outrage from the looks of it.
It was marijuana possession...an offense that is longer an offense in many states across the nation, so it seems pretty stupid to hold this eleven year old non-violent offense against anyone..yes...even one's own son, in fact, especially one's own son.
Dems get to choose which laws they want to obey. It doesn't matter if it's state law or not. They disagree with it then it doesn't pertain to them. He know the law before he did this. Do the time if it's a crime. Liberals are above the law in their minds.
Will he do the same for all the others or just his son?rich boy privileges the left loves so much on display
the board recommended a pardon. the governor followed their recommendation. The reason it took so long was because the son had delayed ASKING for it. But you guys wanna make this about a democrat letting a bad guy out right before he leaves office when there really is no meat on that bone.
