![]() ![]() ![]() The Howell family said they knew Stitt had a difficult decision. Stitt previously told reporters he would meet with members of the Howell family and prosecutors and defense attorneys on the case before making a decision. The third, Scott Williams, recused himself from the vote. ![]() Two of the three parole board members Stitt has appointed recommended the governor grant Jones clemency. He also could have issued an execution stay that would have given him more time to consider the recommendation. Stitt had the option to adopt, modify or reject the parole board's recommendation. In a 3-1 vote, the board recommended Jones' sentence be reduced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The Pardon and Parole Board this month recommended Jones' life be spared. Support for Jones: Kim Kardashian speaks out ahead of planned execution of Julius Jones in Oklahoma Prosecutors have disputed Jones' claims of innocence, saying the trial showed clear evidence of his guilt and the campaign to free him is based on misinformation. “Governor Stitt took an important step today towards restoring public faith in the criminal justice system by ensuring that Oklahoma does not execute an innocent man," attorney Amanda Bass said in a statement. Jones' attorney praised the governor for blocking the execution, but said she had hoped Stitt would have granted her client the option of parole. Jurors chose the death penalty as punishment at a 2002 trial, and Jones has spent nearly 20 years on death row. The clemency marks a partial win for a diverse group of Jones activists and supporters who have proclaimed the inmate was wrongfully convicted in the 1999 fatal shooting of insurance executive Paul Howell during a carjacking. The governor's decision means Jones' execution, set for Thursday afternoon, is canceled. Under that scenario, Jones would have immediately been eligible for parole on his murder conviction. Stitt's decision veers slightly from the Pardon and Parole Board's recommendation to reduce Jones' sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole. “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.Īs a condition of granting clemency, Stitt ordered that Jones shall never be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon or parole for the rest of his life. Kevin Stitt has spared the life of high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones.įollowing a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, Stitt on Thursday granted clemency to Jones, reducing the inmate's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. ![]()
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