“And the truth is that I did not shoot that man. This is about the truth,” Jones said during his clemency hearing this month. 25 in Oklahoma City, where they presented a petition with over 6.2 million signatures calling for Jones' death sentence to be commuted. UPDATE: Thanks to a massive global outcry including more than 6 million signatures on this petition Julius Jones was saved just 3 hours before the state of Oklahoma was scheduled to execute him.Novemmarks one year since Julius was taken off of death row. Supporters of Julius Jones march to the offices of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Feb. What’s more, prosecutors relied too heavily on testimony from a co-defendant who was given a lighter sentence for his involvement in the same murder, according to Jones. Specifically, they point to Jones’ defense attorneys’ neglecting to question family members during the trial who claimed they were eating dinner with Jones at the time of the murder. Jones, who has always maintained his innocence, and his supporters say new evidence shows he was wrongfully convicted. Jones was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of Oklahoma businessman Paul Howell. EST Trinity Carpenter, center left, and Elise Miller, center right, hold signs at a rally for Julius Jones on Feb. Jones was convicted of the crime on the basis of what. His case has received international attention due to claims of innocence and controversy surrounding his trial and conviction. (Photo courtesy of: Dr.In a statement, Stitt said Jones' sentence was being commuted “on the condition that he shall never again be eligible to apply for, be considered for, or receive any additional commutation, pardon, or parole.” Julius Darius Jones (born July 25, 1980) is an American prisoner and former death row inmate from Oklahoma who was convicted of the July 1999 murder of Paul Howell. Julius Jones was 19 years old when he was arrested for the 1999 murder of Oklahoma businessman Paul Howell, and sentenced to death in 2002. Jones is the prime example of this and has reached multiple platforms and people, including the Warriors. Jones was scheduled to be executed on Thursday. Curry later stated, “There’s conversations and activism going on all around the world, but we have to continue to shed light on it as much as you can.” Other players like Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook, and Trae Young have all spoken out in the defense of Julius and exactly what Curry was talking about.Īlthough Jones isn’t free yet, the mission remains the same, defend those who can’t defend themselves and keep pushing for change in the justice system. That is why Jones’ case is gaining so much traction in the NBA world, it isn’t right or fair to accuse a man over the color of his skin. Finally, 11 out of the 12 jurors were white men or women voting to put an African American man away for good. His co-defendant admitted to being involved in the crime and said that he, “Set him up.” And even one of the jurors was reported as harboring racial prejudice, which influenced him to vote for the death row sentence. Eyewitness accounts put Jones at home during the time of the murder. Steph reflected on his talk saying, “I come out of a basketball game, and you're celebrating a win in the locker room, and then you’re like, what’s it like in his shoes right now.” “It checks you a little bit, giving you appreciation for blessings in your life but also the work that needs to be done.”Ĭurry was right, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in the world and in the judicial system. The NBA players and coaches that met with Jones’ family were hoping for some good news, but they were informed that his Clemency hearing had been postponed to November 1st.Įven though Julius wasn’t heard by the pardon and parole board, he was able to be heard by Steph Curry, who had a conversation with him over the phone. This is brutal treatment for someone who has maintained his innocence with key evidence that has been pushed to the side. Now Jones is held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, allowed one hour of sunlight a day, and promised three showers a week. And at the time of the crime, Jones was a 19-year-old student-athlete attending the University of Oklahoma on an academic scholarship with a promising future. The 40-year-old Oklahoma native was wrongly accused of murder almost 20 years ago. After the Warriors and Thunder game on Tuesday night, multiple players and coaches including Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander met together with a common goal, to support Julius Jones and his family.
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