John —

For 19 years, Julius Jones has been on death row in Oklahoma for a crime he’s always said he did not commit. Recently, Oklahoma's attorney general requested that an execution be scheduled on Oct. 28, despite the fact that there’s new and compelling evidence that suggests Julius is innocent.

His is one of seven execution dates requested by the State. If these requests are approved, they will be the first executions to take place in Oklahoma since 2015 — after a series of botched executions resulted in a statewide moratorium.

After the attorney general’s request, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to tentatively hold a clemency hearing for Julius, who is represented by federal attorney Dale Baich, on Oct. 5. At the hearing, Julius could not only have his sentence reduced to time served and walk free, but also be officially pardoned of the crime.

Now more than ever, Julius and his family need people like you to show support. Learn more about his case and see how you can take action today:

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Julius was a 19-year-old student athlete attending the University of Oklahoma on an academic scholarship when he was arrested and charged with murder. Three years later, he was convicted and sentenced to death.

At the time of the crime, Julius was at home having dinner with his parents and sister — but his legal team failed to present his alibi at his original trial. They didn’t even call Julius or his family members to testify.

Before the trial, the State removed all prospective Black jurors except one, and in 2017, Julius’ lawyers discovered that before jury deliberations at the sentencing phase, one juror used a racial slur against Julius and said they should just “shoot him behind the jail.”

It’s clear to anyone who takes a closer look at this case that inadequate defense and explicit racism played key roles in his conviction.

Please, take some time today to learn more about Julius’ stories and then help show your support for his fight for freedom by taking action:

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Thank you so much,

— The Innocence Project Team

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Started in 1992 as a legal clinic at Cardozo School of Law, the Innocence Project is now an independent nonprofit, affiliated with Cardozo, that exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

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