Prevent Unlawful Execution of Wrongfully Convicted Man

Target: Tom Bates, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board

Goal: Save death row inmate from unlawful execution

Julius Jones, on death row for the 1999 murder of an Oklahoman resident, appeared in front of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on October 26th; his final chance to be taken off death row for an execution scheduled for Nov. 18th. He maintains his innocence. Jones’ conviction is a product of systemic failures including woefully inadequate council along with the fact that the jury was not made aware of potentially exculpatory evidence during the trial. There is also evidence that racial bias played a role in his conviction. 

These biases and hidden evidence include the following: firstly, eyewitnesses placed him at his parent’s home at the time, miles away from the murder. However, neither his family nor any other witnesses were called to Jones’ defense at trial. More disturbingly, evidence has come to light to suggest that at least one juror for his trial acted upon racial prejudice which influenced his vote to convict Jones to death. This member of the jury is quoted by a fellow juror as saying the trial was a waste of time and “they should just take the n***** out and shoot him behind the jail.”

Most convincingly, the man who is suspected of actually committing the murder (and who was the prosecution’s star witness against Jones) confessed three times to jail-mates that he was, in fact, the killer and that he had framed Jones.

As for witnesses: the only eyewitness to the crime described a man with over a half-inch of hair under his cap; at the time, Julius Jones’ hair was cropped short, a fact documented by a photograph that was never made known to the jury. The two main witnesses to the crime were confidential informants who received deals for unrelated charges.

This rash of frankly disturbing facts leaves the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board with one just option: clemency. He cannot get the past 20 years of his life back, but the Board can take his case and correct what amounts to a heinous wrongful conviction.

Sign the petition below to save Jones’ life.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Executive Director Bates,

On November 18th Julius Jones is scheduled to be executed for a crime that he did not commit. While any death by the state is an injustice, the murder of an innocent man convicted because of inadequate counsel and racial bias is especially heinous, and your board has a duty to give clemency. 

The evidence shows that not only does Jones not fit the description of the assailant, but that he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. The jury was not shown potentially exculpatory evidence, such as a photograph showing Jones’ physical appearance was dissimilar to the assailant, nor were his family members called to testify on his behalf. At the same time, at least one of his jurors reportedly harbored severe racial bias, calling for his lynching while using racial slurs.

Any one of these facts should be enough to commit to a stay of execution, but together are far more than enough evidence to call for complete and total clemency for this wrongful conviction. 

Please, don’t let another innocent man die.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo By: Nick Youngson