8/17/2023 0 Comments Julius jones clemency hearing![]() ![]() ![]() Trial transcripts show that witnesses identified Jones as the shooter and placed him with Howell’s stolen vehicle. But Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater and the state’s former attorney general, Mike Hunter, have said the evidence against Jones is overwhelming. Jones alleges he was framed by the actual killer, a high-school friend and former co-defendant who was a key prosecution witness. Since then, reality television star Kim Kardashian West and athletes with Oklahoma ties, including NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Trae Young, have urged Stitt to commute Jones’ death sentence and spare his life. Jones’ case drew widespread attention after it was profiled in “The Last Defense,” a three-episode documentary produced by actress Viola Davis that aired on ABC in 2018. She also said Jones has had so much money deposited into his inmate account in the last couple of years that he has sent $18,000 to family and friends. “Jones repeatedly and unequivocally told his attorneys that his parents were mistaken and that he was not at home the night of the murder," said Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Crabb.Ĭrabb said Jones is a recognized member of the Bloods gang and that he has continued to commit criminal acts while inside prison, including possessing contraband and using other inmate's pin numbers to make telephone calls. Jones also testified that he was at home with his parents and siblings on the evening when Howell was killed, but prosecutors said Jones himself previously told his trial lawyers that wasn't true. “Yes, I made mistakes in my youth, but I did not kill Mr. He also denied committing a separate carjacking to which he pleaded guilty, saying he made the plea on the advice of his attorney. He admitted to the board on Monday that he began shoplifting clothes, jewelry and electronics, but denied that he ever committed any violent acts. Jones was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die in the 1999 shooting death of Paul Howell during a carjacking in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond. The state resumed lethal injections last week after a six-year hiatus, putting a man to death for the 1998 stabbing death of a prison cafeteria worker. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has set a Nov. “Our office will not offer further comment until the governor has made a final decision." “Governor Stitt is aware of the Pardon and Parole Board's vote today," Stitt spokeswoman Carly Atchison said in a statement. Stitt must now decide whether to grant clemency or commute Jones’ sentence. Jones' theory of the case, you have to disbelieve every other piece of evidence in the case," including testimony from law enforcement officers, independent witnesses and physical evidence, Smothermon said. The lone vote against clemency came from Richard Smothermon, a former prosecutor, who said he believed Jones was not being truthful in his testimony. “I continue to believe there is still doubt in this case," said board member Kelly Doyle. One board member, Scott Williams, recused himself from the vote because of an existing friendship with an attorney who has advocated for Jones. ![]() Several members of the panel agreed they had doubts about the evidence that led to Jones’ conviction. The board recommended in 3-1 votes that Stitt grant Jones clemency and commute his sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole after hearing from Jones, 41, who testified via video link from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Kevin Stitt spare the life of death row inmate Julius Jones, whose murder conviction for the 1999 killing of an Edmond businessman has drawn national attention. OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board on Monday recommended Gov. ![]()
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