Update (November 18th): Today just a mere four hours before Julius’s scheduled execution, he was granted clemency by the governor. His new sentence is life in prison without parole. While this is a huge step in the right direction and Julius will live another day, we need to keep fighting for his freedom.
I am very sad and upset right now. I am struggling to comprehend what is happening in America, I really am. Next Thursday, November 18th, Julius Jones will be executed in Oklahoma. But this is not just any execution. Julius Jones is innocent and has been on death row for 19 years for a crime he did not commit. He is in jail despite overwhelming evidence that he did not kill Paul Howell. Unfortunately Julius’s original attorneys did not show the evidence to back up that he could not have killed Howell. They did not use Julius’s alibi nor did they show the jury the photo of Julius that would not have matched the eye witness’s description of the shooter. The man who was the most likely shooter testified that he was only the getaway driver and said that Julius committed the crime. That man is now free after 15 years in prison while Julius Jones is not.
The worst thing about this case is that the current Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, is ignoring the fact that a couple of weeks ago, the Pardon and Parole board voted 3-1 in favor of granting Julius Jones Clemency. The case is literally in his hands now. This recommendation would give Julius Jones life in prison with the chance of parole; it would cancel his execution. All the governor has to do is approve it. It is unheard of for a Governor not to consider the recommendation that the Parole board has especially since he put most of the members there. This is also the second time that this same board has recommended this action which is absurd. Governor Stitt please listen and grant Julius clemency!
Right now, Governor Stitt is just about to get back from a trip to Mexico where he was talking about the new embassy being built in Oklahoma City. The frustrating thing is that he made that trip knowing that an innocent man is being executed in a week. What also makes me mad is that the current District Attorney, John O’Conner, is recommending to Governor Stitt that the execution go on as planned. O’Conner argued that Julius had previous legal trouble and that the Howell family wants closure. This is not looking at the facts of the case though. Julius’s prior legal trouble has nothing to do with this case. The Howell family wanting closure is bullshit as the real killer is still out there while Julius Jones is suffering. Again, they are refusing to look at the facts of the case.
As of yesterday, five Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma recommended that Governor Stitt grant the clemency. If the governor does not listen to these pleas, then is he really doing his job of representing the people? How many times do we have to plead and scream for justice in this country? Governor Stitt please do the right thing!
Finally, my biggest fear and concern with this case is that Oklahoma will botch the lethal injection yet again. They recently executed John Grant on October 28th, their first execution in five years due to problems with the lethal injection. But they botched it as Grant was throwing up and in pain throughout his execution. This was the state’s third botched lethal injection in a row. Do you think they realize how bad and unethical this is?
What You Can Do To Help Julius:
- Spread The Word: Please talk to your friends and family about this. Feel free to a share my blog post or other resources I share in this post. We need to spread this information and get the word out. We are running out of time.
- Go To: https://freejuliusjones.com/, Sign the petition and use the number to call Governor Stitt as well as other key Oklahoma decision makers. When you call the number on the site, an automated voice will give you instructions on what to say. The call takes less than five minutes so feel free to do it multiple times per day if you can. Also, when you sign the petition it emails key decision makers as well.
- Go To: https://www.justiceforjuliusjones.com/ To sign their petition and learn how to take action.
- Educate Yourself And Others: Read up on key details of the case so you know what you are talking about. Share what you learn with others. Really spread the word around.
- Be Ok With Getting Uncomfortable: This is an extremely tough situation to be in. I know many of you may not want to pick up the phone or sign the petition. I did not want to have to do this either. But Julius needs our help and if we do not get to Governor Stitt soon it will be too late. He is the one with all the power here. We also need to send a message that this type of action is not ok.
All in all I am heartbroken for Julius and all the other death row inmates right now who are innocent. As I am writing this, Julius is sitting in a death row cell in isolation with the lights on 24 hours a day (he is in a death watch cell). He does not have access to any of his personal belongings. This is no way to treat our prisoners and if Julius does mangage to make it out of this, he will not be the same man he once was. Our prison system needs to change in so many ways but this post is not the time for that. We need to help out Julius right now and prevent his unnecessary death. Please pray good thoughts and think positive. Thanks for your help on this; together we can make Governor Stitt do the right thing.
— ChefWalker out
Walker's World 