![]() He put Julius through the ordeal of a last meal and last sleepless night in prison.” Still waited until four hours before the execution to make this announcement. I hope that Julius’ family will find comfort in this decision. He’s only 41 years old and has spent 22 years in prison. We grieve that he will have to spend the rest his life in prison without the possibility of parole. “We are thankful that Julius’ life was spared. “It is definitely a mixed blessing,” Don Heath, the Chair of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said in a statement. ![]() The delay meant that Jones spent weeks on highly restrictive death watch, while he and his family waited to see if he would be allowed to live. ![]() 1, Stitt waited until hours before Jones’ scheduled execution to announce his decision. Stitt ordered that “Jones shall not be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon, or parole for the remainder of his life.”Īlthough the Pardon and Parole Board made its recommendations on Sept. “We are reviewing Judge Ogden’s order, and the petitioners will respond more fully as soon as possible.”Īs the nation watches DA Prater and AG O’Connor continue to interfere in Jones’ case, relatives and supporters of Julius Darus Jones pray that Governor Kevin Stitt will thoroughly review the evidence, acknowledge the severe level of doubt in the case, and grant clemency for Jones.“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,” Stitt said in a statement. “We appreciate Judge Ogden giving the petitioners a timely order,” Activist Jess Eddy told NonDoc. The petitioners have less than two days to make amendments and resubmit the petition application. He ultimately denied the activists’ application to convene a citizens grand jury that would investigate DA Prater, according to NonDoc. However, on Tuesday, October 19, it was confirmed that Oklahoma County Judge Richard Ogden had presided over the petition. We were told Oklahoma County District Judge Don Andrews had taken over the petition after Judge Elliot’s recusal. Kelly Doyle, who voted yes for commutation. Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board members from left to right: Scot Williams, who recused himself from the Septemcommutation hearing for Julius Jones. Smothermon, a former district attorney himself, has collaborated with DA Prater in the past as members of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council ( DAC). Yet, while DA Prater considers their participation a conflict of interest, he said nothing about Board member Richard Smothermon, the one person who voted against Jones’ commutation recommendation and who has former ties to DA Prater. The two work for organizations that assist marginalized Oklahomans, including recently released prisoners. Even after a federal appeals court reinstated Jones and others into a lawsuit challenging the protocol for Oklahoma’s executions, attorneys for the state aren’t satisfied with anything less than death.įor months, Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater has sought to silence and remove members Adam Luck and Kelly Doyle from voting in the Julius Jones case. Meanwhile, the commutation process for Julius Jones has been plagued by interference from the state’s top attorneys. As clemency hearing for Julius Jones approaches, unelected attorney general interferes Close Search for:ĭA Prater, Oklahoma AG O’Connor interfere in commutation proceedings
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