OKC Archbishop added to clemency supporters for death row inmate
The Associated Press and The Oklahoman - October 20, 2019 8:35 am
Image: The Baxter Bulletin
Clemency sought for Oklahoma death row inmate in man’s death
(Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A clemency request by an Oklahoma death row inmate who claims a racist juror influenced the outcome of his trial has received support from faith and criminal justice reform leaders.
The Oklahoman reports 39-year-old Julius D. Jones has asked the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to commute the death sentence he received to time served after being convicted of first-degree murder in the 1999 shooting death of 45-year-old Paul Howell.
Howell, who was white, was killed in the driveway of his parents’ Edmond home. Jones, who is black, has argued that his case should be reviewed because a juror referred to him by a racial epithet.
The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley, Archbishop of Oklahoma City, urges clemency, as does Kim Kardashian West who tweeted to her 62 million followers about the Oklahoma case.