We know Oklahoma’s justice system can be flawed, and as a Christian I see the injustice that can happen. Two of the key witnesses, who were implicated in the crime and did no time for the murder or car robbery, were given deals on other charges in exchange for their testimony against Julius. The jury also did not see a photo that would have shown that Julius did not fit the eyewitness’ description, however, the co-defendant did. The jury did not hear that the Jones family was hosting a game night at the time of the crime and that Julius was present. I am very concerned that his original attorneys did not present an adequate defense for Julius.
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Julius was sentenced to death in a trial rife with error and failure, putting into question the reliability of his conviction. I feel terrible for everyone involved in the tragic events of the summer of 1999 however, I do believe that the wrong person is being punished for this crime.įor the past 21 years, Julius Jones has maintained his innocence. The Jones family has always had strong values and deep commitments to the
Our familial relationship goes back generations. My father, Tommy Griffin, coached Julius when he played basketball at John Marshall High School, and often I would tag along to practices and watch Julius and his team play.
I hope you will determine in reviewing Julius’s case and subsequent trial that he is innocent and should be released from prison. I am writing in support of Julius Jones’ application for a commutation. In the words of attorney Bryan Stevenson, “If we can look at ourselves closely, and honestly, I believe we will see that we all need justice, we all need mercy, and perhaps we all need some measure of unmerited grace.”ĭear Governor Stitt and honorable members of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, I humbly ask you to review Julis Jones’ commutation application and extend mercy towards him. Julius made a mistake in befriending his co-defendant, and as a result, his life has been altered forever. Like many young people, Julius did not always make the best choices. It is because of my parents, basketball and the grace of God that I did not follow the wrong crowd. Throughout my childhood, there were ample opportunities to make poor choices. To hear that a juror allegedly used the N-word when referring to Julius during trial, yet remained on the jury, is deeply disturbing to me. I am also troubled by the issues of racial bias in Julius’ case. In addition, they failed to adequately question the co-defendant, who is reported to have bragged in jail about framing Julius. His legal team failed to present a photo of Julius taken nine days before the crime which would have dramatically contradicted the eyewitness description. Though Julius and his family members were expecting to testify about his whereabouts at the time of the crime, none of them were called to the stand. Julius’ public defenders lacked the resources, expertise and motivation to fight for his life. I would like to convey just a few of the issues in Julius’ case that concern me. As more details come to light regarding his situation, I join with many voices to express sadness and profound concern regarding his conviction and death sentence. Unfortunately, I am contacting you today because I believe the state’s criminal justice system is on the verge of carrying out a grave injustice, one that is inconsistent with the values of the Oklahoma I know and love.Īs I have learned more about the case of death row prisoner Julius Jones, it has become readily apparent to me and many others that his conviction was tainted by a deeply flawed process. The Oklahomans I met are empathetic, kind and just, which is why it was easy to form such a special connection with the state and its people.
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New Post Game Thread Nikola Jokic dominates the 2023 NBA Finals and earns Finals MVP, averaging 30.2/14/7.2 for the series and the Denver Nuggets are NBA Champions! Top Team Subreddit Postsġ Thunderbird inspired logo redesign and city jersey from a graphic design project I did for school.ģ NBA media wants Trae in LA so badly they’re trying to talk it into happening.Ĥ Mikal Bridges had the whole Team USA bench doing his celebrationĥ An NBA executive says teams weren’t lining up for Damian Lillard before his agent requested only Miami.ĭear Governor Stitt and Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board members,Īs I like to tell people everywhere, I love Oklahoma and the time I spent there.
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