Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Death Row Inmate Julius Jones

By Alyssa Wilson Published: November 2, 2021

Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Death Row Inmate Julius Jones

FILE - This Feb. 5, 2018, file photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows Julius Jones. Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, recommended Governor Kevin Stitt commute the death sentence of Jones, a convicted killer, who has maintained his innocence in a case that has garnered national attention. On Thursday, November 18, Stitt granted Jones clemency, commuting his death sentence to life in prison with no parole. (Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP, File)

In Summary

A parole board is recommending clemency for Julius Jones who was convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he said he did not commit at the age of 19.

After being on death row for nearly 20 years in an Oklahoma prison, Julius Jones is hoping his fate will be changed.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is recommending granting Jones clemency for a murder he maintains he did not commit.

According to CNN, Jones sat before the parole board to plead his case and it voted 3-1 Monday to recommend commuting his sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The same board recommended commuting Jones’ sentence back in September. “The Pardon and Parole Board has now twice voted in favor of commuting Julius Jones’ death sentence, acknowledging the grievous errors that led to his conviction and death sentence,” Jones’ attorney Amanda Bass said. “We hope that Governor Stitt will exercise his authority to accept the Board’s recommendation and ensure that Oklahoma does not execute an innocent man.”

Julius Jones was just given an execution date of Nov 18th despite the Pardon & Parole Board recommending his sentence be commuted. Help us SAVE HIS LIFE by contacting @GovStitt at https://t.co/OR1WGMlPDI & asking him to commute Julius’ sentence.#JusticeforJulius @justice4julius pic.twitter.com/bj62ZChj3z
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) September 20, 2021

Jones’ case has received national attention and many people, including Kim Kardashian West, have advocated for him. His case was covered in the ABC documentary The Last Defense and more than 6.4 million people have signed a petition asking the governor to prevent his execution.

Jones was arrested for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell, who was shot in the driveway of his parents’ home. Christopher Jordan, a co-defendant in the case, was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a robbery, CNN reported. He testified against Jones, who was then sentenced to death at the age of 19. His attorneys continue to allege Jones’ conviction is based on failures, “inexperienced” public defenders and racial bias.

Jones is scheduled to be executed on November 18, but his family is still holding out hope and they are grateful for the help of others. “It means the world to me,” his sister Antionette Jones told CNN. “It means that we’re not alone anymore. It means that we can kind of breathe a little bit easier, knowing that other people are willing to fight alongside us.”

His mother, Madeline Davis-Jones, maintains that he did not commit the crime. She said, “My son Julius has been on death row for over twenty years for a murder he did not commit, and every day of that has been a waking nightmare for my family.”

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