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Bottle Service Legislation by Rep. Ajay Pittman passes in Oklahoma House
Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation to help small businesses and support economic development throughout Oklahoma passed the Oklahoma House this week with a vote of 69 to 21.
House Bill 2726, authored by Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, introduces language into the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Control Act that would allow Oklahoma small businesses to offer bottle service to their customers.
“This bill was a request bill from many small businesses in my district and throughout Oklahoma City,” Pittman said. “What we are doing is creating parity with what other states offer and what consumers want. Economic Development was at the top of my list of priorities when we started this journey, now we can see how we can restore our business communities from multiple things that challenge their success.”
The legislation does not increase or encourage alcohol consumption nor does it remove any safeguards put in place to curb alcohol-related incidents. This measure will also promote additional safety precautions that prevent hospitality staffers from making additional trips to serve patrons.
“This legislation isn’t about alcohol as much as it is about helping small businesses in House District 99 and throughout Oklahoma,” said Pittman. “This legislation will add a second layer of safety for families or patrons that gather in support of our professional sports teams and other celebrations.”
H.B. 2726 is now eligible to be heard in the Oklahoma Senate.
Bottle Service Legislation by Rep. Ajay Pittman passes in Oklahoma House Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK
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Oklahoma schools would be required to get explicit authorization from teachers every year before withholding union dues under legislation that has passed the Oklahoma Senate.
Supporters said the bill complies with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in "Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31," and ensures the free-speech rights of school employees are prioritized.
“As the First Amendment right is critically important and a foundational right of individual liberty, I think it is best to take that portion of the decision and make sure to protect the First Amendment rights of these public-school employees,” said Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville.
Senate Bill 634, by Daniels, requires schools to get annual reauthorization for dues withholding from employees.
(https://ift.tt/3qmUSq2 ).
Under the bill, teachers or other school employees joining a union would have to sign a form each year that states, “I am aware that I have a First Amendment right, as recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, to refrain from joining and paying dues or making political contributions to a professional employee organization. I further realize that membership and payment of dues or political contributions are voluntary and that I may not be discriminated against for my refusal to join or financially support a professional employee organization. I hereby authorize my employer to deduct dues and/or political contributions from my salary in the amounts specified in accordance with my professional employee organization’s bylaws. I understand that I may revoke this authorization at any time.”
School districts would also have to confirm the authorization by separately contacting the employee via email.
Should a school employee notify a school that he or she is terminating payroll deductions to a union, the legislation also prevents the union from accruing any new debt from the employee.
In its Janus decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, “… States and public-sector unions may no longer extract agency fees from nonconsenting employees. The First Amendment is violated when money is taken from nonconsenting employees for a public-sector union; employees must choose to support the union before anything is taken from them. Accordingly, neither an agency fee nor any other form of payment to a public-sector union may be deducted from an employee, nor may any other attempt be made to collect such a payment, unless the employee affirmatively consents to pay.”
Opponents said the legislation is unnecessary and unwanted by teacher union members.
“The people who this would affect, they do not want this,” said Sen. J.J. Dossett, D-Owasso.
“This is very demoralizing to teachers,” said Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, who said the legislation could lead to “passion fatigue” among educators.
Sen. Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, argued the Janus decision was “very narrow” and did not require any changes to state law.
“The changes that have been proposed are unnecessary based on the Supreme Court case,” Floyd said. Sen. Floyd is leader of the upper chamber’s minority caucus.
The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), the state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), tweeted in opposition to the bill, declaring, “Out-of-state interests are pushing this membership red tape to stop #oklaed from organizing!” An accompanying graphic said SB 634 “specifically targets collective power” and “descriminates against educators and support staff.” (Spelling error in original.) [https://twitter.com/okea/status/1367115309656776704 ]
Boren defended the work of teachers’ unions, although she acknowledged that their work has upset many families this year.
“I understand that collective-bargaining units, especially teachers, have been targeted for lots of criticism, especially in the middle of COVID where we’re at,” Boren said. “They’ve had a lot of criticism and blame for shutting our schools. I totally understand that.”
But supporters said the legislation bolsters the power of many teachers who do not want to support the political agenda of major teacher unions.
“We should respect teachers who may have a different political ideology than the group that they are forced to do their collective bargaining with if they choose to join a union in their school district,” said Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City. Treat is president pro tempore in the upper chamber of the Legislature.
He noted that OEA dues support its NEA parent, which has explicitly supported abortion without restrictions under the banner of “reproductive justice” and claimed opposition to abortion is driven by “misogynistic forces.”
The American Federation of Teachers has similarly supported abortion and Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, declaring opposition to both to be the product of “extremist groups.”
“Many of my constituents may belong to OEA. They may belong to AFT,” Treat said. “And they are tremendous teachers. They are tremendous educators, dedicated. But they don’t share the belief of these national organizations.”
One lawmaker noted that the current process leaves teachers feeling exposed to potential union retribution.
“I’ve actually had teachers in my district that have reached out and said that they felt discriminated against because they asked for a waiver to opt out,” said Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan.
Daniels said the legislation is pro-teacher and pro-free speech.
“We should never be demoralized by supporting the First Amendment,” Daniels said. “It’s not an insult to somebody to say, ‘Your individual liberty is so important that we are going to add this extra step for your employer to take to make sure that your First Amendment rights are protected.’”
Senate Bill 634 passed the Oklahoma Senate on a 25-21 vote. All those in support were Republicans, while another 12 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
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NOTE: An award-winning journalist, Ray Carter is director of the Center for Independent Journalism. This post first appeared at the website of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA – https://ift.tt/3c8ahoX ). It is reposted here with permission.
Measure to protect teachers’ free speech rights advances through Oklahoma Senate Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Legislation to address the issue of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Native American people has been approved unanimously by the full Senate. Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, is the principal author of Senate Bill 172, known as Ida’s Law.
The measure is named for 29-year-old Ida Beard from El Reno. A citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, she went missing in 2015 and has never been found. Legislators from Oklahoma City have assumed leading roles in advancing the proposed law.
Rosino said there are currently more than 220 missing American Indians in Oklahoma, with about 14 of those from his own Senate District.
“It’s a national problem, and it’s a problem right here in Oklahoma. One of the biggest issues is the lack of solid data, which is exactly what Ida’s Law would help us address,” Rosino said. “We had tremendous momentum for this legislation last session, but it was another of many important bills that the clock ran out on due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m encouraged and grateful for the Senate’s support this session.”
S.B.172 directs the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to coordinate with the United States Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department to obtain federal funding to create a database. The measure would also create the Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons under the OSBI.
The office would work with tribal, state, and federal authorities on missing persons and homicide cases, provide guidance to victims’ families, facilitate training, promote best practices, and consult with community organizations to promote community relations.
Also advocating for the legislation as it moves through the legislative process have been state Senator Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, and state Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton. In a recent “Point of View” commentary for The Oklahoman, Pae and Hicks explained the utility of the data base the law envisions:
“In Oklahoma, 9.4 percent of the population is Indigenous, and we’re one of the Top 10 states in the nation for missing or murdered Indigenous women. Without guidelines and with limitations in data collection and reporting, it’s impossible to fully understand how many Indigenous members of our community are missing or murdered every year.”
[https://ift.tt/3c5y5tr]
The measure next moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Rep. Collin Walke, D-Oklahoma City, is the House principal author.
Note: Pat McGuigan contributed to this report.
Oklahoma State Senate approves Ida’s Law, measure moves to House of Representatives Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]() Oklahoma City – Recently, I posted on my personal Facebook page and elsewhere words from Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the University of Virginia, the first Secretary of State, second vice president, and third president of the United States. The quotation, from 1781: "History by apprising [citizens] of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and knowing it, to defeat its views." Former Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Cody Graves responded quickly with a comment: “That assumes that the past is studied...sadly far too many of our friends have not taken the time...” I have here adapted slightly my reply to Graves, a Facebook friend who is actually a friend. Cody’s sentence seems right. In the few words he used there is a lot of insight reflecting years of observance and contemplation. Learning from the past requires a willingness to ... learn. Concerning those who believe they know everything about everything and who act as if history worth knowing began with their pain and their need, rather than at the dawn of humanity … Well, there is in such a mindset trouble, in the form of multiple roadblocks to common understanding, experience and meaning. Learning in the sense Jefferson touched on can only happen for those willing to study events or people in context, to listen to those who provide information about the past in order to inform, to enlighten, to illuminate dark corners. More consumers of information have grown weary of the work required to “learn” in this sense. When empathy is undermined or destroyed through a push to reach judgments based on appearances and on emotion and with preconceived notions, then history devolves into a weapon and not a tool for instruction. This is in direct opposition to the development of discernment and restraint. Once upon a time, I found it common for people to “walk a mile” in the other person's shoes, or moccasins or boots or other footwear. But often now even the call on another to "see this through my eyes" is dismissed. The call for restraint itself tagged a form of assumed “privilege.” Yes, this is working in all directions right now. I blame particular factions more than others but concur that it is pervasive. Not only have far too many Americans (and others) not taken the time or made the effort to learn from the past, they regard the past as meaningless … until they decide it has meaning. To say that we in America are presently in a vicious cycle is to state the obvious -- but stating the obvious is getting harder because fewer and fewer things are “obvious” to more and more observers. NOTE: This commentary, adapted from previous reflections online, appeared in the March 2021 edition of the The City Sentinel newspaper, an independent, locally-owned and non-partisan newspaper based in Oklahoma City. COMMENTARY: Studying History, and Stating the Obvious even if it is no longer Obvious Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
Oklahoma City – Last October, the mother of Julius Jones sat quietly through an Interim Hearing conducted at the State Capitol. Madeline Jones listened carefully to witnesses, including Bob Ravitz, who runs the Public Defender office.
The hearing examined capital punishment, in a way that addressed not only the Richard Glossip death sentence, but also that of Madeline’s son:
“I’m pulling my hair out today and every day because I saw the number of capital cases in my office today and it’s horrifying – that is ineffectiveness of counsel. Unless there is sufficient funding for lawyers to represent defendants and do the adequate investigation, I’m almost convinced that there ought to be a specialized unit that handles capital cases that has trained expert witnesses. It’s really hard to find lawyers that want to do capital cases. I had one lawyer die, one lawyer who got cancer, another one retire and another one leave. I have nobody who is first chair in a capital case.”
And this: “My expert witness budget for all my capitol cases for the whole year is $75,000.”
In late February – just last week – Madeline led a large crowd to submit a “Change.org” petition to the Pardon and Parole Board on N. Classen Blvd. It has more than 6 million names on it, calling for commutation of her son’s sentence.
A couple of days before the rally and march to the Board office, I signed that Change.org petition.
Death penalty events of recent years should guide us:
It’s time to end one era, and start another.
No more executions in Oklahoma. Now and forever more.
Public Policy, and A Mother’s Love Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill that will help more nonviolent offenders qualify for the Electronic Monitoring Program passed out of the Senate unanimously late Tuesday evening (March 2). The proposal garnered 43 yes votes.
Senate Bill 456’s author, Sen. Bill Coleman, said the measure was needed to correct an oversight in state law that left inmates sentenced between five and ten years unable to participate in home monitoring.
“This bill will help address our overcrowded prisons and lower incarceration costs by allowing this group of nonviolent offenders to complete the remainder of their sentences at home, where they can return to the workforce and help support themselves and their families,” Coleman said in a press release this week sent to CapitolBeatOK.com, The City Sentinel newspaper and other news organizations.
“It’ll also ensure that those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens — our children and senior citizens — won’t be eligible for the program.”
The Ponca City Republican explained the bill prohibits those convicted of child abuse and neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, some instances of which are considered nonviolent crimes, from participating in the program.
In a February release concerning the bill, Coleman said:
“Current law inadvertently left certain nonviolent offenders sentenced between five and ten years unable to participate in the Electronic Monitoring Program. This was an oversight that needs to be corrected to allow more nonviolent offenders the ability to serve out the remainder of their sentence at home with their families. This not only helps reconnect families and get these individuals back into the workforce, it also helps lower incarceration costs and overcrowding in our prison system.”
S.B. 456 also adds inmates convicted on counts relating to child abuse and neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult to the list of individuals deemed ineligible to be placed in the Electronic Monitoring Program.
“While GPS monitoring is a good way to help most nonviolent offenders serve the remainder of their sentence at home, it’s not appropriate or safe for predators who have victimized children and vulnerable senior citizens,” Coleman said.
“Electronic monitoring only tracks offenders’ location, not who they’re around or what they’re doing — meaning when they return home, they may still be in close proximity of the individual they hurt or exploited, possibly putting the victim in danger or causing them undue stress and anxiety. We must protect our most vulnerable citizens from those who would prey on them.”
Participation in the Electronic Monitoring Program is not automatic. Inmates must apply to get into the program and meet numerous eligibility standards prior to enrollment.
The measure, which was requested by the Department of Corrections, now heads to the House where Rep. Garry Mize, R-Guthrie, is the House principal author.
Oklahoma Senate approves electronic monitoring expansion for nonviolent offenders Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate approved legislation Tuesday expanding educational opportunities for Oklahoma families. Senate Bill 783, by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, modifies the Education Open Transfer Act to allow students to transfer to another public school district year-round.
Pugh, who serves as the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, said the bill is desperately needed to provide families more flexibility to find the school that meets the needs of their child.
“No other state service is based on geography except K-12 education. We’re also not told where we can go to the doctor, to church or to shop; and it’s time to stop telling parents where their kids have to go to school,” Pugh said. “Having the proper education to meet a child’s unique needs is the most important choice a parent can make, because it will impact their path and success in life. Senate Bill 783 gives parents the power to make this important decision for their children instead of letting zip codes choose for them.”
Under S.B. 783, beginning Jan. 1, 2022, a student can transfer up to two times per school year to any public school district as long as the district has not exceeded its transfer capacity for that grade level and the student has no discipline or truancy issues. If the number of transfer applications exceeds a district’s capacity, applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Currently, there are only two short transfer windows available for students, and many of those requests are denied. The current system is too complicated and leaves families stuck because there is no opportunity to appeal their denied requests,” Pugh said. “This bill will create an appeals process at the local and state level to help empower families to take charge of their children’s education.”
Under S.B. 783, a denied transfer request can be appealed within 10 days to the receiving local school board. If the local board denies the appeal, another appeal can be filed within 10 days to the State Board of Education. The measure prevailed 32-15 in the upper chamber of the Legislature.
Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, applauded Pugh’s work to reform Oklahoma’s open transfer system.
“Every parent deserves the chance to seek the best educational opportunity for their student. A student’s zip code should not limit their ability to attend a great school. Open transfer is a long-overdue education reform that will help parents and students to pursue schooling that best meets the needs of an individual student,” Treat said.
“I applaud Senator Pugh’s work on this important piece of education reform that will help our students get the best education possible. I see this as an important first step in putting parents in charge of their children’s education.”
The bill also directs district school boards to adopt a policy by Jan. 1, 2022, to determine how many students their district has the capacity to accept in each grade level per school. Capacity must be established and published on the school website and reported to the State Department of Education (SDE). Local school boards must also submit to the SDE the number of transfers approved and denied and the reason for denial. The agency will publish the data on its website and share it with the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.
S.B. 783, which has the support of the State Chamber of Commerce, the State Department of Education and various school advocacy groups, now moves to the House where Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, is serving as the House principal author.
Bill strengthening state’s open transfer system moves to House of Repesentatives Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK Measure Placing National Motto on Public Buildings passes Oklahoma House of Representatives3/2/2021 ![]()
OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill that would require the national motto of “In God We Trust” to be displayed on all state government buildings passed the House on Monday (March 1).
House Bill 2085, authored by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, and Speaker Pro Tempore Terry O’Donnell, R-Catoosa, would require the display of the motto to be prominent and in keeping with the one in the U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center.
In debating for the measure on the state House floor, O’Donnell pointed out that the United States Congress has reaffirmed “In God We Trust” as the national motto several times in recent years since the motto was first adopted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. The last affirmation came in 2011 with a vote of 396-9.
“Clearly, this national motto unified our national leaders,” O’Donnell said. “When we really look at it, it unifies us as Americans and as Oklahomans. Isn’t that what both political parties claim must happen right now – that we must come together in unity? This motto is woven into the fabric of our society, and reminds us of who we are as Americans.”
McCall and O’Donnell pointed out that the motto is already on the nation’s currency and on many government buildings throughout the nation, as well as on license plates and in many other places.
“‘In God We Trust’ has been our national motto for more than 70 years,” McCall said.
“Long before that, our founding fathers used the Declaration of Independence to give credence to the belief that Americans are ‘endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.’ This important piece of our history deserves to be celebrated here as it is in thousands of government buildings nationwide.”
H.B. 2085 is a revision of a measure that passed last year in the House by a wide majority but did not make it through the legislative process because of pandemic interruptions. The legislation on Monday passed with a vote of 81-19.
A press release from the state House majority, sent to CapitolBeatOK and other news organizations, pointed out, “The measure received no Democrat votes. Just more than a decade ago, a Democrat-authored bill that created Oklahoma’s ‘In God We Trust’ specialty license plate received bipartisan support in both legislative chambers."
Senate Bill 2 in 2009, by former Sen. Jay Paul Gumm, D-Durant, and former Rep. Scott Martin, R-Norman, created the ‘In God We Trust’ license plate.
“As it did more than a decade ago, I was proud the Oklahoma House majority stood again in favor of widely-accepted American history and Oklahoma values,” McCall said.
The bill now moves to the state Senate where Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, is the principle author.
Measure Placing National Motto on Public Buildings passes Oklahoma House of Representatives Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]() One of the best thought leaders on free speech was Frederick Douglass. While advocating for the freedom of all in the United States of America and advocating for the U.S. Constitution, he made two extremely relevant points: “To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker,” and, “Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one’s thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist.” The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs www.ocpathink.org works every day to shape culture, policy and politics for freedom. For the better part of a year, we have been fighting for a crucial fundamental right: the First Amendment right to free speech and a free press. Oklahomans and OCPA recently won a huge victory. The development of good government policy requires open public debate. When one side of a debate is gagged, poorly designed or harmful policies advance without question and working families pay the price. Last spring, OCPA proudly advocated for sensible safety measures that would protect citizens from COVID-19 while also allowing their continued pursuit of their lives and livelihoods. This came when many businesses were being forced to close and many Oklahomans were losing their jobs. We argued for a better approach that would keep businesses safely open and Oklahomans employed. At the same time, the CEO of Paycom, a $22 billion Oklahoma City-based tech company, was advocating for a broader suspension of businesses services and increased use of government’s power. We referenced that fact in an article and linked directly to a letter by Paycom’s CEO endorsing those actions. In response, Paycom filed a meritless lawsuit, attempting to silence and cancel OCPA’s free-speech advocacy for working families. The lawsuit received much publicity, as news outlets noted Paycom’s allegations against OCPA. Paycom’s lawsuit has been dismissed — with prejudice. In the court’s order dismissing the case, the judge found that Paycom’s claims against OCPA “relate to or are in response to the OCPA’s exercise of the right to free speech,” noted the “absence of any evidence” that Paycom suffered any specific loss of business as the result of OCPA’s reporting, and noted the “absence of any evidence of actual malice by OCPA.” In fighting for our free-speech rights, OCPA is fighting for the free-speech rights of all Oklahomans. If we can be silenced by the filing of meritless lawsuits, so can anyone. At OCPA, we welcome open, robust debate. George Washington may have said it best: “For if Men are to be precluded from offering their Sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of Speech may be taken away, and, dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.” Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. Fighting for free speech for all Oklahomans Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK ![]()
OKLAHOMA CITY – New and compelling evidence has emerged that Julius Jones, a man on death row in Oklahoma since 2002, did not commit the murder he was convicted of and for which he was sentenced to death.
The information was circulated to journalists -- including The City Sentinel newspaper, CapitolBeatOK.com and the public – along with a press release and video, on March 1, 2021.
Jones is currently awaiting execution for the 1999 killing of Edmond businessman Paul Howell. Since Jones’ conviction, the state has faced scrutiny for relying on the testimony of Jones’ co-defendant, Christopher Jordan, who told jurors that Jones shot and killed Mr. Howell. Jordan, who admits to being at the scene of the murder, took a plea deal in exchange for his testimony and is now a free man after serving 15 years in prison.
Jones has always maintained his innocence. His family says he was eating dinner at their home during the time of the murder.
Today (Monday, March 1), Jones’ legal team released a video and a letter in which Roderick Wesley, a man who served time with Jones at an Arkansas penitentiary, says Jordan confessed multiple times to murdering a man and framing Julius.
(https://mcusercontent.com/7b7ae9b9127a38fcf02b3236f/files/616286e6-067f-4479-8f0a-c9e1b88deb6c/2020.07.21_Letter_from_Roderick_Wesley_to_Dale_and_Amanda.pdf).
In the letter to Jones’ legal team, Wesley wrote that Jordan said “my co-defendant is on death row behind a murder I committed.” In a video call with Jones' attorneys, Wesley said Jordan was apologetic when delivering his confession, but said he was not “going to jump out there and give himself up to the wolves.”
Wesley provided more details about Jordan’s confession during videoconference calls with Jones’ legal team. It has been independently verified that Wesley and Jordan both served at the East Arkansas Regional Unit facility, also known as Brickeys, in 2010. Both worked at the prison commissary.
[Cut and paste link to access this link to the YouTube posting of the Roderick Wesley video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GGY2oUPxcc&feature=youtu.be
]
Roderick Wesley is now the third person who has come forward to say that Christopher Jordan confessed in prison to murdering Paul Howell.
In 2004, a former cellmate of Christopher Jordan’s, Manuel Littlejohn, signed a sworn affidavit
(https://ift.tt/3c5VeMH ) that read, in part:
“Jordan stated that he felt guilty because he was going to implicate his co-defendant, Julius Jones, in a murder case to avoid getting the death penalty[.] . . . Jordan stated that he had wrapped the gun used to commit the murder in his case in a bandana and hidden it in Julius Jones’ house[.] . . . Regarding the murder case, Jordan stated to me, ‘Julius didn’t do it,’ and ‘Julius wasn’t there.’”
Also in 2004, Christopher Berry, a prisoner in Oklahoma, signed a sworn affidavit saying that Jordan bragged “about how he was the actual person who shot the victim in his case. Mr. Jordan also said that because he was the first person to talk to the police, he was getting a deal and would not get the death penalty.”
(https://ift.tt/3e6l5q2)
Neither Berry, Littlejohn, nor Wesley were offered shorter sentences or incentives in exchange for disclosing their conversations with Jordan. None of them know each other or have met Julius Jones.
Besides Jordan’s multiple confessions behind-bars, eye-witness testimony also calls into question whether Jones could have been the shooter and whether the description more closely matched Jordan.
At the time of the murder, an eyewitness described a man wearing a bandana with a least a half-inch of hair hanging out. Photos taken at the time show Jones with a nearly shaved head, whereas Jordan’s braids more closely matched the eye-witness description.
Cece Jones-Davis, an activist and faith leader who helped launch the “Justice for Julius” movement in Oklahoma, said the new evidence suggests the state has now been imprisoning an innocent man for over two decades.
“Julius Jones did not murder Paul Howell,” said Jones-Davis.
“At this point, it is clear who did. It is unthinkable to proceed with this execution knowing that the real killer is out there and has confessed, on multiple occasions, to his crime. “
Jones has filed an application to commute his sentence to time-served with the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. The Board is scheduled to begin their initial review of that application on March 8. If his application is denied, he will receive an execution date.
New Evidence Supports Julius Jones’ Claims of Innocence Click on the headline to read the full article at CapitolBeatOK |
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