Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater objected to a potential commutation for death row prisoner Julius Jones in a letter earlier this week. This comes as the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board will consider Monday whether to give Jones a commutation hearing.
If the Pardon and Parole Board grants the hearing, Jones and his attorneys hope it will decide to recommend for Gov. Kevin Stitt to commute Jones’ sentence to time served.
Prater is urging the board to do the opposite. Prater says Jones murdered Edmond man Paul Howell more than 20 years ago and his supporters are spreading lies and half truths to get him out of prison.
Jones’ legal team says on the contrary, the state’s case against Jones was always weak. They say Jones was given inadequate defense at trial and they’ve uncovered new evidence pointing to his innocence.
Their evidence includes statements from three prisoners who claim Jones’ codefendant confessed while behind bars to murdering Howell and framing Jones.
Jones’ court appeals have been exhausted and a commutation from Stitt is one of his last chances to escape death row.
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