Julius Jones' Life is Spared (Unpublished)
The recent rally cry for the clemency or postponement of Julius Jones' execution has succeeded.
The story of Julius Jones continues as Oklahoma governor, Kevin Stitt, issued Executive Order 2021-25 last last evening. Executive Order 2011-25 commutes Julius Jones' execution for his death sentence to life in prison. Jones was scheduled to be executed at 4 PM yesterday.
Governor Stitt released the following statement regarding his decision:
"After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones’ sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."
Jones was tried and convicted for the first-degree car-jacking, murder of a 45-year-old businessman, Paul Howell. Jones's sentence has been reduced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The catch is that this life imprisonment is on the condition that he shall never again be eligible to apply for, be considered for, or receive any additional commutation, pardon, or parole. Julius has been on death row since 1999.
External support has propelled Julius Jones' case into the spotlight, and has surely helped in overturning the previous decision on his sentence.
Back in 2018, ABC aired a seven-episode documentary called "The Last Defense" executively produced by Oscar winning actress Viola Davis. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones.
The Last Defense Documentary
Recently, the Jones case had been back in the public eye as celebrities and activists have been adamant on social media to spread awareness.
Kim Kardashian
W. Kamau Bell
Russell Westbrook
The call to action is even spurred students all over the country to demostrate peaceful walk-outs of school in solidarity with Julius Jones.
Jones alleges he was framed by the true killer, a high school friend and co-defendant who was a key witness and testifier against him. He and his family stress the fact he was at home the night of Howell’s murder, eating dinner and playing games with his siblings. Julius and the Jones family also say that the jury never heard this information at trial.
Once the news of Stitt's decision broke-out, supporters right inside the Oklahoma State Capitol and around the world rejoiced.
Madeline Davis-Jones, Julius' mother, released a statement on twitter expressing her gratitude.
Oklahoma has been under scrutiny for years because of its strict capital punishment methods. Just this week in a separate death row case, the state's Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to grant clemency. Which in turn would be citing lethal injections. That same board just decided, in a recommended vote of 3-1, for Governor Stitt to commute Jones’ sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Obviously that didn't happen.
Amanda Bass, a lawyer representing Jones, said,
“Governor Stitt took an important step today towards restoring public faith in the criminal justice system by ensuring that Oklahoma does not execute an innocent man.”
Bass also lamented that although Julius wasn't given parole, him not being executed is still something to be grateful about.
Stick with us for more news at classixphilly.com.
Comments
Post a Comment