Right now, Julius Jones is sitting on Oklahoma’s death row despite strong evidence that he was wrongfully convicted and that racial bias infected his case.
In a powerful op-ed for the Tulsa World, Oklahoma state Representative George Young discusses Julius’ innocence and racial bias claims, and why the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals must grant Mr. Jones a new hearing.
Julius, who has always maintained his innocence, was a student athlete on an academic scholarship at the University of Oklahoma at the time of his arrest in 1999. Mr. Jones’ co-defendant matched the only eyewitness’s description of the shooter, while Julius did not. However, in exchange for his testimony against Julius, Mr. Jones’ co-defendant was released after only 15 years on a 30-year sentence and is today a free man.
Mr. Jones’ case was featured this summer in “The Last Defense”, an ABC docu-series produced by Viola Davis (abc.go.com/...). During production of the show, a disturbing piece of evidence documenting racial bias in Mr. Jones’ case came to light:
“A juror revealed that during the trial, another juror told her it was all a waste of time and ‘they should just take the n***** out and shoot him behind the jail.’ She says she told the judge, and he did nothing.”
Following the airing of “The Last Defense”, Julius’ case has received significant publicity including a recent letter from the Congressional Black Caucus to Governor Mary Fallin concerning Mr. Jones and the racial inequity of the death penalty in Oklahoma:
“[W]e are writing to you regarding our deep concerns about the application of the death penalty in Oklahoma, specifically with respect to racial bias and the risk of executing an innocent person….As for Mr. Jones, we ask that you take a close and careful look at his case, and use your authority to correct this wrongful conviction.”
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has a chance to grant Mr. Jones a new hearing to determine if the juror’s use of the n-word deprived Julius of a fair trial. As Representative Reverend Young concludes in his op-ed:
“For the public’s faith in the criminal justice system, to show the courts aren’t complacent about racism in a juror, and to make sure an innocent person isn’t executed, Mr. Jones needs a new day in court. “
Amen.
More information about Julius’ case can be found here: http://justiceforjulius.com/