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HELP SAVE JULIUS JONE'S LIFE: SIGN PETITION 'JULIUS JONES IS INNOCENT - DON'T LET HIM BE EXECUTED BY THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA' AT THIS LINK:
Excellent support cite:
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Re Julius Jones; Death row. Oklahoma: Urgent message to the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board from The Charles Smith Blog. Your State Attorney General has made clear that you have - indeed have always had - the power to hold commutation hearings for death row inmates. (As per the Tulsa World report below.) So stop dithering. Do your job. Don't allow the execution of this innocent man. Don't waste any more time. Don't allow this to go to the wire in the usual way - that's just cruel and unjust. Commute, commute, commute. Now.Harold Levy: Publisher. The Charles Smith Blog.
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BACKGROUND: "From letter NBA superstar Trae Young to governor and parole board: I and so many other people have been called to raise concerns regarding Julius Jones’ case because of the many obvious ways in which the legal system failed him. Julius’ co-defendant, who testified against him, changed his story no fewer than six times when interviewed by the police. However, Julius’s attorneys, who lacked death penalty experience and were woefully unprepared, failed to cross-examine the co-defendant regarding his inconsistencies. They did not mention that Julius’ co-defendant had bragged to fellow inmates that he had committed the homicide, not Julius. Nor did they inform jurors that Julius did not meet the description of the shooter provided by the sole eye witness. Julius’ attorneys also failed to present evidence that Julius was home with his family the night of the murder. Finally, the prosecution used a scientifically discredited bullet analysis, presented by an analyst who pled guilty for giving false testimony only months after Julius’s trial."
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STORY: "Oklahoma Attorney General tells Pardon and Parole Board it already has the power to hold commutation proceedings for death row inmates, published by Tulsa World on July 1, 2020.
GIST: Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter sent a letter Tuesday to the state’s Pardon and Parole Board about its ability to issue commutations.
Hunter sent the letter in response to discussion at the board’s June 9 meeting, according to a news release. The board voted then to ask for an attorney general’s opinion on whether it could legally hold commutation proceedings for death-row inmates.
In Tuesday’s letter, Hunter advised the board that it doesn’t need a new opinion because a previous one affirmed the board’s power to recommend commutations and the governor’s authority to grant them.
The discussion comes after death-row inmate Julius Jones requested commutation in October. It is believed to be the first time a death-row inmate has asked for one.
Jones, 39, was convicted in 2002 of killing an Edmond man in 1999. Jones has maintained his innocence for 20 years, and in April 2019 the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeal. His case was the subject of the 2018 documentary “The Last Defense.""
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/oklahoma-attorney-general-tells-pardon-and-parole-board-it-already-has-the-power-to-hold/article_03553283-5ba9-55bd-884c-8fd766f9449e.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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