Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott wrote a letter to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Pardons and Parole Board asking for the release of black inmate Julius Jones, according to Time.
In the letter, Prescott, 27, says he thinks “the wrong person is being punished for this terrible crime.”
Having examined the facts of the Julius Jones case, I firmly believe that the wrong person is being punished for this terrible crime; in addition, an assessment of the process leading to Mr. Jones’ conviction raises serious legal and ethical issues. I implore you to correct this error. Please don’t let another innocent black man die of the systemic abuse that has plagued our nation for too long.
Jones was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell – a white businessman – in a carjacking.
Dak Prescott highlights problems with Julius Jones case
Jones’ case has garnered attention in a number of places, including a 2018 documentary series titled “The Last Defense,” which was produced by Viola Davis. The reason Jones’ case received so much attention is due to issues and inconsistencies in the way his case was handled.
Prescott sets out some of these questions in his letter:
I firmly believe that Julius Jones’s conviction and death sentence is a gross injustice. Mr Jones has been on death row for 20 years, despite written affidavits from his trial attorneys describing the ways they let him down in court. Attorneys for Mr Jones never presented the photo taken 9 days before the crime which could have clarified the description of the shooter. They were appointed with no experience in death penalty cases and did not even present Mr Jones’ alibi at trial. Additionally, a member of the jury (consisting of 11 out of 12 white members) confirmed that the jury acted with racial animosity – admitting that inappropriate and biased statements were made by other jurors during the trial, including the use of racial slurs.
Jones’ family insist Jones was home the night of the murder, playing games with his family. They were not called by Jones ‘attorney to provide Jones’ alibi. Jones’ trial attorney admitted he was inexperienced and overwhelmed by the case.
The photo Prescott referenced in the letter is a photo of Jones days before filming. An eyewitness said the shooter had an inch of hair sticking out from under their caps. The photo – which was not shown at Jones’ trial – would show Jones had his hair cut tight just days before the crime.
Prescott also mentions the racial animosity within the jury. In an affidavit under oath, a juror on the Jones trail claims to have heard another juror refer to Jones as a racial insult. The juror who allegedly used the insult was allowed to sit on the jury.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter released a document in July that addresses these arguments, including the issue of an alibi.
“Jones says his lawyers did not present his family as an alibi witness,” says Hunter. “However, this alibi has been thoroughly investigated and has been discredited.”
A number of athletes have called for the release of Julius Jones
Prescott is far from the first professional athlete to write for Jones’ freedom. Blake Griffin, Buddy Hield, Baker Mayfield, Russell Westbrook and Trae Young all wrote letters on behalf of Jones. On top of that, a Change.org petition calling for Jones’ release received more than 6 million signatures.
